HCL Verse vs Microsoft Exchange Online comparison

HCLSoftware and Microsoft are both solutions in the Email Applications category. HCLSoftware is ranked #13, while Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8. HCLSoftware holds a 2.1% mindshare in EA, compared to Microsoft’s 11.1% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of HCLSoftware users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Microsoft users who would recommend it.

HCL Verse

Read 3 HCL Verse reviews

706 Views
417 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Microsoft Exchange Online

Read 92 Microsoft Exchange Online reviews

3,912 Views
3,756 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

HCL Verse

Microsoft Exchange Online

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Download the report

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Microsoft Exchange Online and HCL Verse are competing products in enterprise email solutions. Microsoft Exchange Online seems to hold an advantage in pricing and support, while HCL Verse is noted for its feature set that some find worth the premium.

Features: Microsoft Exchange Online provides seamless integration with Microsoft 365, strong security features, and advanced email management tools. HCL Verse distinguishes itself with intelligent spam filtering, dynamic search capabilities, and personalized collaboration spaces. Both have robust features, but Exchange Online's integration within Microsoft's ecosystem offers a more unified experience.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Microsoft Exchange Online benefits from extensive deployment tools and a comprehensive support network, allowing smoother transitions. HCL Verse relies on solid support channels, although its deployment complexity can be challenging for some.

Pricing and ROI: Microsoft Exchange Online's pricing is competitive, delivering substantial ROI due to its integration benefits. HCL Verse may incur higher initial costs, yet its advanced features can yield satisfying ROI in settings valuing collaboration enhancements.

To learn more, read our detailed HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online Report (Updated: December 2025).

Buyer's Guide

HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online

December 2025

Download the complete report

Helped 881,082 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

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

Categories and Ranking

HCL Verse

Ranking in Email Applications

13th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.6

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Microsoft Exchange Online

Ranking in Email Applications

2nd

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

7.2

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of January 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of HCL Verse is 2.1%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 11.1%, down from 15.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online	11.1%
HCL Verse	2.1%
Other	86.8%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Marcos Roberto Silva

Diretor at MASTERDOM

Stable, scalable, and good interface

HCL Verse has a nice interface and it is a practical email solution. There are a diverse set of features, such as the search bar on top of the screens. The usability from the old applications to the new version has been very good. It was great that we were able to migrate applications from the older version to the new one.

Read full review

Asad Mohammad

Assistant General Manager, IT Infrastructure at SAMI Pharmaceuticals (Pvt.) Limited.

Offers flexibility and cost-effectiveness with multiple service options but could improve support and mobile features

There are many things to consider about email management in Microsoft Exchange Online. The online management is good, the storage is sufficient, and we use most of the features such as the custom rules in Microsoft Exchange Online, which we cannot find in any other email solution. That is a very good option, as we have many options to create custom rules in Microsoft Exchange Online. Regarding security features in Microsoft Exchange Online, we also use Defender for Exchange which includes the basic Exchange Online protection that has spam and threat controls. The use of Defender is beneficial for our security. The flexibility of choosing plans in Microsoft Exchange Online is good. We have chosen the best plan for our use, including multiple licenses such as plan one and business basics, which leads us towards cost-effectiveness, and the pay-as-you-go option is more flexible. Microsoft Exchange Online is very scalable.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"HCL Verse has a nice interface and it is a practical email solution. There are a diverse set of features, such as the search bar on top of the screens."

"The most valuable feature is the mail server."

"Microsoft Exchange Online is an easy-to -use email solution."

"The solution is quite convenient because you can access the web version anywhere."

"All of the features are beneficial, but the scheduling feature is particularly useful."

"Microsoft Exchange Online is very simple and easy to use."

"It has helped us because we don't have to worry about servers crashing."

"Microsoft Exchange Online is a stable product."

"The most valuable features of Microsoft Exchange Online are the frequent updates. They upgrade and optimize the features to make them better and better. They have a very strong ecosystem and they integrate together."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is its ease of use."

More Microsoft Exchange Online pros

Cons

"Security is very important to us, so improvements to this functionality are welcome."

"The solution could improve by allowing us to use a color that we want in the editing boxes."

"We'd like to have the ability to recall emails on the web. I'm not sure if that is available yet."

"Exchange Online has issues with its mail flow and content search."

"There is room for improvement in terms of optimization."

"There is an annual enterprise subscription could improve by having more features."

"The support from the vendor is fine. However, it could be faster, and some of the agents could be more knowledgeable, but it is a large solution, there's a lot of information that the agents have to work with. I can't always expect when I get connected to the first-level agent that they will know absolutely everything. Sometimes there's no replacement for pure experience."

"The solution should have a stand-alone application instead of us having to go through an internet browser."

"The solution could improve with the integrations with some of the known applications is still not possible, there must be more connectors."

"I feel that there is a need for improvement in the product, considering that there are some concerns with the tool's integration capabilities."

More Microsoft Exchange Online cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"This is an affordable solution but the price could be improved."

"The price of the solution is reasonable."

"The product is expensive and has an annual subscription."

"We have a license per user scenario."

"There is a license for Microsoft Exchange Online and I have information on that, but there have been so many changes to the licensing and it's a completely different story nowadays. Microsoft has been pushing users to buy a package of products under one license. Users are becoming more dependent on Microsoft rather than independent, that you can't decide anymore, and from my point of view, that is bad."

"The pricing for Microsoft Exchange Online is quite reasonable, in my opinion. Many licensing options are available so that we can choose based on the customer's needs. For example, if a customer only requires mailbox features, we can recommend Plan One or Plan 2. We can suggest an E3 or E5 license if they need the entire Office suite. There are also premium subscriptions for enterprise customers, offering additional security features. Overall, I don't find the pricing costly because Microsoft provides many features and security capabilities, making it reliable for all customers, depending on their requirements."

"We bought some licenses, and some are within our package or partnership with Microsoft."

"In my opinion, the online license is the best one we have. It is a bundle that we have from Microsoft. It is a bit high in price."

"The cost of Microsoft Exchange Online is approximately $4 to $36 per user. They do not give a discount which is not good. The solution is expensive if you have 800 to 1,000 users. They should give discounts when you have a lot of users."

"The price of the license depends on a lot of factors, such as the number of licenses and company specifics."

More Microsoft Exchange Online pricing and cost advice

See which vendors are best for you

Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Applications solutions are best for your needs.

See recommendations

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Government

24%

University

Computer Software Company

Real Estate/Law Firm

Computer Software Company

10%

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	40
Midsize Enterprise	16
Large Enterprise	40

Questions from the Community

Ask a question

Earn 20 points

What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange Online?

The benefits are widespread and effective communication. We use Microsoft Teams for meetings within and outside our organization. Additionally, Teams can be used for chat, allowing us to track comm...

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange Online?

If I segment it into three points: low price, average, and high price, I would place Microsoft Exchange Online between average and high price.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?

There is room for improvement in Microsoft Exchange Online. Technical support for Microsoft is good, but in all fairness, I sometimes think more can be done. I have personally tried exploring with ...

See all answers

Comparisons

HCL Notes vs HCL Verse

Compared 41% of the time

Hub vs HCL Verse

Compared 12% of the time

HCL Domino vs HCL Verse

Compared 8% of the time

Microsoft Exchange vs HCL Verse

Compared 7% of the time

Huddle vs HCL Verse

Compared 7% of the time

More HCL Verse Competitors

Google Workspace vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 29% of the time

Open-Xchange vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 16% of the time

Amazon WorkMail vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 10% of the time

Zimbra Collaboration vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 6% of the time

KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 3% of the time

More Microsoft Exchange Online Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Email Applications

January 2026

Download HCL Verse product report

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange Online

January 2026

Download Microsoft Exchange Online product report

Also Known As

Verse, IBM Verse

Exchange Online, Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, MS Exchange Online

Overview

IBM Verse is a powerful email hosting solution that enables users to access their business communications from a laptop or desktop browser or from a mobile device. This email and business messaging experience is based on an innovative user-centric design, including social analytics and advanced search capabilities. IBM Verse helps users quickly find and focus on what content is most important, empowering them to build stronger working relationships while optimizing business results.

HCLSoftware

Exchange Online helps protect your information with advanced capabilities. Anti-malware and anti-spam filtering protect mailboxes. Data loss prevention capabilities prevent users from mistakenly sending sensitive information to unauthorized people. Globally redundant servers, premier disaster recovery capabilities, and a team of security experts monitoring Exchange Online around the clock safeguard your data.

Microsoft

Sample Customers

Canon Marketing Japan Inc., Australian Trade Commission, BTC, Havas, Canal Barge Co.Inc., RAVInvest, Elemental Path, WDR mediagroup

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Blue Star Infotech, Scitec Nutrition, Resolution Films, British Airways, Empire Cinemas, InnoGames

Buyer's Guide

HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online

December 2025

Free Report: HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online

Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online and other solutions. Updated: December 2025.

DOWNLOAD NOW

881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.

See our HCL Verse vs. Microsoft Exchange Online report.

See our list of best Email Applications vendors.

We monitor all Email Applications reviews to prevent fraudulent reviews and keep review quality high. We do not post reviews by company employees or direct competitors. We validate each review for authenticity via cross-reference with LinkedIn, and personal follow-up with the reviewer when necessary.