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 8.3, while Zimbra is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0. GFI holds a 4.4% mindshare in EA, compared to Zimbra’s 8.0% mindshare. Additionally, 57% of GFI users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Zimbra users who would recommend it.

KerioConnect

Read 10 KerioConnect reviews

1,657 Views
1,591 Comparison Views

57% willing to recommend

Zimbra Collaboration

Read 29 Zimbra Collaboration reviews

2,311 Views
2,195 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: September 2025).

Buyer's Guide

KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration

September 2025

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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

6.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Email Archiving (6th)

Zimbra Collaboration

Ranking in Email Applications

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Reviews Sentiment

7.3

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of KerioConnect is 4.4%, up from 4.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zimbra Collaboration is 8.0%, down from 9.2% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
Zimbra Collaboration	8.0%
KerioConnect	4.4%
Other	87.6%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

David Bloomer

Senior Technician at Computers At Work

Lightweight, simple, and robust; easy to maintain and doesn't require a lot of system resources to run

Kerio Connect does as advertised, so there are no real issues with the product itself. It's developed regularly, so there are constant updates. Possibly, the support and development have lessened since they've sold the company, but as far as the product itself is concerned, there isn't anything that I would suggest needs improvement. If I'm being picky, Kerio Connect uses a proprietary, mappy atom for Outlook, and it would be nice if they used a native mappy connection instead, but that's the only additional feature that I would like to see in its next release. If they have native Outlook map integration, that would be great, but other than that, it's got all the functions that I think a mail server should have.

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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."

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

"The user interface is good."

"We use the solution as a mail server. It connects with Outlook and is used for calendaring and similar tasks."

"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."

"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."

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

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

More KerioConnect pros

"The solution is easy to implement."

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

"We can control all the data in my IT infrastructure."

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

"A lot of other products like Microsoft Exchange offer email or collaboration features, but they are not as fast as Zimbra."

"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."

"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."

"Network NG Modules are valuable to us."

More Zimbra Collaboration pros

Cons

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

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

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

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

"The solution could improve the redundancy because we only have one copy of the Kerio Connect server on our hardware. The next step for us is to move to the cloud and if Kerio does not have a cloud version available they should release one"

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

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

"I would like to see better support from their support team."

More KerioConnect cons

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

"The product must be more customizable."

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

"There are some security issues."

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

"The solution could improve by making it easier to use."

"The solution could use more integration with third-party tools."

"It does have a few bugs."

More Zimbra Collaboration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"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."

"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."

"We pay yearly licenses for Zimbra Collaboration."

"We are using perpetual licenses. We have deployed it in our local data center, and we buy perpetual licenses on a per-user basis."

"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."

"When it comes to the licensing of Zimbra Collaboration, my license covers the servers and I find its terms to be much simpler than those of Microsoft Exchange."

"The solution is not expensive compared to other products."

"There is an annual standard licensing fee to use Zimbra Collaboration and there is no other cost."

"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

Computer Software Company

13%

Comms Service Provider

12%

Manufacturing Company

Retailer

Computer Software Company

16%

Comms Service Provider

10%

Government

Manufacturing Company

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.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for KerioConnect?

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

See all answers

What needs improvement with KerioConnect?

KerioConnect continues to improve with regular updates throughout the year. They must be added to the roadmap, which requires approval. In larger organizations, the server's capabilities and the da...

See all answers

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...

See all answers

What do you like most about Zimbra Collaboration?

The most valuable feature of Zimbra for our team's productivity is its efficiency in handling email communication.

See all answers

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

The solution is competitively priced.

See all answers

Comparisons

Microsoft Exchange vs KerioConnect

Compared 53% of the time

IceWarp vs KerioConnect

Compared 10% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs KerioConnect

Compared 6% of the time

Google Workspace vs KerioConnect

Compared 5% of the time

More KerioConnect Competitors

Microsoft Exchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 24% of the time

Open-Xchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 22% of the time

IceWarp vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 9% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 8% of the time

Google Workspace vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 8% of the time

More Zimbra Collaboration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

KerioConnect

September 2025

Download KerioConnect product report

Buyer's Guide

Zimbra Collaboration

September 2025

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

September 2025

Free Report: KerioConnect vs. Zimbra Collaboration

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