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HCL Domino vs Microsoft Exchange comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

ROI

Sentiment score
6.0
HCL Domino provides ROI for some users, while others struggle; it's praised for reducing paperwork and increasing satisfaction.
Sentiment score
7.2
Microsoft Exchange improves productivity and efficiency by 30%-50% with varied ROI, especially through cost-effective cloud deployment and essential functions.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Domino's technical support is positively received, while customer service experiences mixed reviews due to variable interaction quality.
Sentiment score
6.2
Microsoft Exchange support is valued for expertise but often criticized for slow response, high costs, and mixed satisfaction.
The Microsoft support structure, while technically proficient, involves case transfers across different global locations.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.2
HCL Domino is praised for scalability but faces challenges with large databases, varying by company size and usage.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Exchange is scalable and flexible, supporting thousands of users with options for on-premise and cloud solutions.
The licensing and associated costs make it challenging to scale, especially when user numbers increase.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
8.1
HCL Domino is praised for its stability and reliability, despite minor concerns and differing opinions on larger databases.
Sentiment score
7.6
Microsoft Exchange is stable and reliable, with occasional glitches from updates, needing regular updates but rarely experiencing downtime.
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Domino needs modern updates for UI, performance, integration, security, user-friendliness, scalability, and cloud migration capabilities.
Microsoft Exchange faces criticism for storage limits, complex licensing, security, integration issues, high pricing, and usability challenges.
In-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities that would be beneficial.
The biggest issue with Microsoft Exchange is its high cost, especially in pricing for license upgrades and expansion to more users.
 

Setup Cost

HCL Domino's pricing is high, especially compared to competitors, and can vary based on user count and needs.
Evaluating Microsoft Exchange reveals varied pricing experiences influenced by company size, licensing complexity, and feature needs.
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client.
Microsoft Exchange is costly, and its licensing model can be expensive over time as more users require licenses.
 

Valuable Features

HCL Domino integrates messaging and applications with robust security, cross-platform support, low-code development, and flexible architecture for efficiency.
Microsoft Exchange excels in email integration, security, and compatibility, enhancing productivity and collaboration in enterprise environments.
Its hybrid nature allows the use of both web-based applications and Notes client-based applications.
Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly and easy-to-deploy solution, which is beneficial for handling emails even without professional support.
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
21
Ranking in other categories
Rapid Application Development Software (19th)
Microsoft Exchange
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
92
Ranking in other categories
Email Applications (3rd), Wireless Email (1st), File Archiving (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

HCL Domino and Microsoft Exchange aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. HCL Domino is designed for Rapid Application Development Software and holds a mindshare of 0.5%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
Microsoft Exchange, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 11.4% mindshare, down 12.2% since last year.
Rapid Application Development Software
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

FrederickLim - PeerSpot reviewer
Provides mobile email systems with solid stability and easy deployment
The initial setup is easy. You need to sign up. It depends on the scope. It will take longer if there are more than one or more applications. The project usually includes infrastructure and deployment may take anywhere from one month to six months. I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy.
Hesham Hussain - PeerSpot reviewer
A good solution for large enterprises, but is expensive when compared to other solutions
Regarding the decision of increasing the number of users, it depends on the organization's choice, whether to opt for CapEx or OpEx. Both options involve expenses over the years. Building an in-house Exchange solution requires investing in hardware, storage, connectivity, and administrative resources. Office 365 shifts the budget solely to OpEx as a subscription service. Scalability is another factor. Starting a new company favors Office 365 due to cost efficiency. As the organization grows, the choice depends on available resources and technical expertise. An internal Exchange setup is feasible with skilled engineers, while Office 365 suits those lacking in-house resources.
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
14%
Government
10%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Construction Company
8%
Computer Software Company
15%
Government
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved. Many people are not very happy with its speed. Additionally, in-line editing of documents and a document viewer are functionalities ...
How does Zimbra Collaboration compare with Microsoft Exchange?
Zimbra is a free, open source collaborative software suite. The features I like best are the ease of integration and the email, calendar, and collaboration server with web interface. In addition, I...
What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange?
The initial setup was straightforward and fast.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange?
The licensing and pricing are quite costly, which can demotivate customers from opting for features and upgrades. However, the solution provides value for money if one is well-acquainted with Excha...
 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
Exchange, MS Exchange
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Scitec Nutrition, British Airways, InnoGames, Osteology Foundation, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, NTC Contracting
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, ServiceNow, OutSystems and others in Rapid Application Development Software. Updated: May 2025.
851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.