KerioConnect vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

GFI and Zimbra are both solutions in the Email Applications category. GFI is ranked #9 with an average rating of 8.8, while Zimbra is ranked #6 with an average rating of 8.0. GFI holds a 4.1% mindshare in EA, compared to Zimbra’s 6.9% mindshare. Additionally, 62% of GFI users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Zimbra users who would recommend it.

KerioConnect

Read 11 KerioConnect reviews

1,715 Views
1,544 Comparison Views

62% willing to recommend

Zimbra Collaboration

Read 28 Zimbra Collaboration reviews

2,475 Views
2,376 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

KerioConnect

Zimbra Collaboration

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Zimbra Collaboration and KerioConnect are competing products in the realm of email and collaboration solutions. While KerioConnect may have a robust feature set that appeals to many, Zimbra Collaboration garners positive attention for its cost-effectiveness and customer service.

Features: Zimbra Collaboration stands out for integrated collaboration tools such as calendar management, file sharing, and robust security features. KerioConnect offers advanced filtering and email protection and flexible deployment options. Zimbra's strength lies in its seamless integration, while KerioConnect is praised for its comprehensive groupware setup.

Room for Improvement: Zimbra Collaboration could enhance its mobile app functionalities and offer more robust anti-spam solutions. The Zimbra interface could be more intuitive under high load. KerioConnect can improve by offering more integration capabilities with third-party services and simplifying its initial setup process. Also, KerioConnect's customer service response time could be quicker.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zimbra Collaboration offers swift cloud-based deployment minimizing downtime and reliable support services enhancing user experience. KerioConnect provides both cloud and on-premise options, giving businesses flexibility in infrastructure choices. Zimbra's customer service is noted for responsiveness, contrasting with KerioConnect's traditional support model.

Pricing and ROI: Zimbra Collaboration is noted for its affordable setup costs, offering substantial ROI through reduced maintenance expenses. Although KerioConnect has a higher initial cost, it potentially justifies this with customization capabilities catering to particular organizational needs, promising greater long-term value.

To learn more, read our detailed KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration Report (Updated: March 2026).

Buyer's Guide

KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration

March 2026

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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

KerioConnect

Ranking in Email Applications

9th

Average Rating

7.2

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Archiving (7th)

Zimbra Collaboration

Ranking in Email Applications

6th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of KerioConnect is 4.1%, down from 4.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zimbra Collaboration is 6.9%, down from 9.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications Mindshare Distribution
Product	Mindshare (%)
Zimbra Collaboration	6.9%
KerioConnect	4.1%
Other	89.0%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Marcelino Mongcal

Senior Systems Tech/Admin at Samco Software Inc.

A seamless setup ensures smooth communication with comprehensive support

We remain a partner with Sophos and use XG S Firewalls without AWS implementation. We only use Sophos endpoint and Sophos Central. We host some clients on-premise while others we host remotely. The VPN connection is easy and proprietary, so it's not open to any other VPN clients. Communication with other mail servers is seamless. It can communicate with Gmail and Outlook without issues, provided the DNS settings are correct. We monitor our servers and security logs, implementing GeoIP blocking. We frequently block China and India IPs due to brute force attacks on our servers. We have extensive experience with KerioConnect. Backing up and maintaining it is straightforward compared to Microsoft Exchange, making it administrator-friendly. On a scale of 1-10, this solution rates an 8.

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Muhammad Talha Baig

Business Analyst and Associate Project Manager at SAMI Pharmaceuticals

One of the premium features was customized rooms tailored to the collaboration needs

Zimbra's strength lies in its individuality, and it should focus on leveraging its unique features rather than trying to emulate competitors. My organization has certified Zimbra technicians, so we believe we can utilize Zimbra certification. However, I was recently informed by Zimbra that no such certification exists. I have recently completed the test kit, and after the training, I will gain access to tickets. Therefore, if any clients are experiencing issues, we have a certified technical team available to provide support 24/7. This is how we can cater to our client's needs. I recommend Zimbra to small-scale and enterprise customers. Anyone, even those with 5 users, can opt for Zimbra. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"What I like most about Kerio Connect is that it supports ActiveSync, and that is its most critical feature. The solution is also a nice, simple, robust, and stable mail server."

"Backing up and maintaining it is straightforward compared to Microsoft Exchange, making it administrator-friendly."

"It's relatively simple to use."

"KerioConnect has integration with 365. We can use Outlook, which has its client and can be used with Apple devices. It integrates with the App Store and Microsoft Office. It has a smart router. The spam filtering and antivirus are good."

"The solution is easy to maintain, unlike Exchange. It's easy to create multiple domains and back up and restore if needed. It also has good security features like anti-spam and antivirus."

"We have contacted technical support a handful of times and received some assistance."

"The most valuable features are its ease of use, excellent pricing, and it is platform agnostic."

"Kerio Connect is secure, flexible, and easy to control from the user interface. It has many security features able to be controlled from one place, such as anti-spam. I have found it very convenient. Additionally, you can analyze log files and share folders which is helpful."

More KerioConnect pros

"Zimbra Collaboration is light to manage. It works on the Linux operating system, which is far better to manage than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Exchange works only on the Windows server. We prefer working on the Linux server for security reasons and ease of management. Zimbra Collaboration also has some integrated tools for security. It some modules to fight malware. These modules are not very powerful but are still doing a great job. Microsoft Exchange doesn't have a basic module. You have to purchase a security solution and add it to the solution. The cost of Zimbra Collaboration is one more reason for liking it. It is also very simple to migrate from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution."

"The stability is good and keeps getting better with each new update."

"The Zimbra Collaboration's most valuable feature is web access."

"Zimbra Collaboration's sharing features are most valuable."

"One of the premium features was customized rooms tailored to the collaboration needs. Many of the clients customize features such as organization logos and scanners."

"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."

"The web interface is powerful and easy to use."

"The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost."

More Zimbra Collaboration pros

Cons

"KerioConnect is stable as long as you use a strong password."

"KerioConnect continues to improve with regular updates throughout the year. They must be added to the roadmap, which requires approval."

"We cannot compete with them because they're fully integrated with their applications."

"The search and archiving documentation capabilities need to be stronger."

"Having a native Outlook map integration would make Kerio Connect better."

"We are considering switching to Microsoft Exchange. One reason is that it doesn't improve our workflow and doesn't integrate well with Microsoft 365 applications."

"You cannot integrate with other services like Google Docs, Google Assistant, Google Calendar, etc."

"It could be simpler to use and install, but I still wouldn't use it because there isn't a compelling use case."

More KerioConnect cons

"File sharing permissions with Nextcloud integration need improvement."

"The installation is not straightforward, it can take two days for the full implementation."

"I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added."

"Some issues cause the solution not to function correctly or to cause downtime once a month."

"The antispam and antivirus features are hard to understand on mobile devices."

"The new patches are, at times, not so good, so we don't install them, causing the tool to be not so stable overall."

"They should enhance its online meeting features."

"I can confidently say that Zimbra is good enough for 2,000 client users. But, at the same time, if my client needs more than that and we have two options—Zimbra or Microsoft—I'm going with Microsoft because many admins will speak to Microsoft's ability to handle that many."

More Zimbra Collaboration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"KerioConnect has a first-time cost and yearly subscription. It is not expensive."

"The price of Kerio Connect is better when comparing it to others solutions."

"The pricing is about $3 per mailbox per month."

"The solution's pricing depends on how long you plan to keep it because you pay on a per-year basis. You might have a one-time setup cost for something like Microsoft Exchange or a Linux mail server. I'd say this solution is expensive on a per-year basis, almost 2000-3000 dollars annually. It doesn't seem to pay off yet, so we're considering switching to another product."

"We do not pay for licenses to use this solution."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the price a four"

"We pay yearly licenses for Zimbra Collaboration."

"The price of the solution is low."

"I use Zimbra Collaboration's community version. We may move to the enterprise version since prices are affordable."

"If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported."

"The solution is competitively priced."

"Zimbra Collaboration is less expensive than Microsoft Exchange. Zimbra works for small companies because it is not expensive. Zimbra Collaboration has more security tools than Microsoft Exchange. If you are choosing between Zimbra Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange, you have to take into account the cost of security tools with Microsoft Exchange. When you purchase Microsoft Exchange, you will also have to purchase tools for security, which adds to the cost. The migration from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution is very simple and easy. Migration from Microsoft Exchange to another email solution is very difficult. Microsoft doesn't allow migration that easily. In fact, you have to pay for tools to do that. You have to buy some expensive tools to migrate."

More Zimbra Collaboration pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Comms Service Provider

13%

Manufacturing Company

10%

Computer Software Company

Retailer

Computer Software Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	10
Midsize Enterprise	2

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	19
Midsize Enterprise	3
Large Enterprise	7

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about KerioConnect?

The most valuable features are security and privacy because you installed it on your server, within your company premises, not in the cloud.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for KerioConnect?

The pricing is very easy to understand. As a partner, we have a monitoring system that informs us when subscriptions expire, allowing us to handle renewals. The pricing is very competitive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with KerioConnect?

Since KerioConnect is a setup and go solution, everything works on its own. The only administrative tasks required are keeping it up to date, monitoring security logs, and ensuring protection from ...

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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...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zimbra Collaboration?

The solution is competitively priced.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Zimbra Collaboration?

When it comes to administration tasks like configuring specific filters or group signatures, I have to dig into the configuration since there's nothing in the graphical or web interface. The soluti...

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Exchange vs KerioConnect

Compared 33% of the time

IceWarp vs KerioConnect

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs KerioConnect

Compared 7% of the time

ProtonMail vs KerioConnect

Compared 7% of the time

Open-Xchange vs KerioConnect

Compared 7% of the time

More KerioConnect Competitors

Open-Xchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 20% of the time

Microsoft Exchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 19% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 10% of the time

Google Workspace vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 9% of the time

IceWarp vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 7% of the time

More Zimbra Collaboration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

KerioConnect

March 2026

Download KerioConnect product report

Buyer's Guide

Zimbra Collaboration

February 2026

Download Zimbra Collaboration product report

Overview

Kerio Connect, a messaging and collaboration solution, meets the needs of small and mid-sized businesses while offering a robust feature lineup. Business users enjoy support for their favorite email client and easy web-based access. Kerio Connect is highly stable—so you can focus on business rather than unexpected downtime and recovery.

GFI

Zimbra Collaboration provides administrators and their end users innovative features that solve the challenges faced by organizations using today's legacy communications infrastructure.

Zimbra

Sample Customers

Southern Tier Brewing Company, Innotta, Baustoff + Metall, Hamifleurs, Chanson TV, Ryman Stationery

NEC Biglobe, City of Ventura, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hola Publishing, BIG, Sleepwell, LaFayette College, Xmission, DNA, Ring Line, Future Group, TIGC

Buyer's Guide

KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration

March 2026

Free Report: KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration

Find out what your peers are saying about KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration and other solutions. Updated: March 2026.

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