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Kiteworks vs Microsoft 365 Business comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Jun 29, 2025

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

Kiteworks
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
14th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.9
Number of Reviews
13
Ranking in other categories
Enterprise Content Management (16th), Email Security (26th), Managed File Transfer (MFT) (7th), Secure Email Gateway (SEG) (9th)
Microsoft 365 Business
Ranking in Content Collaboration Platforms
8th
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
250
Ranking in other categories
Mobile Device Management (MDM) (2nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Content Collaboration Platforms category, the mindshare of Kiteworks is 2.5%, down from 2.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft 365 Business is 2.5%, up from 1.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Content Collaboration Platforms Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft 365 Business2.5%
Kiteworks2.5%
Other95.0%
Content Collaboration Platforms
 

Featured Reviews

KT
Associate Consultant at a tech consulting company with 10,001+ employees
Streamlined global file sharing with user-friendly interface and self-service capabilities
I'm not a network expert, however, there must be some room for improvement. Perhaps there could be a notification to users about their bandwidth or network packet loss. If users receive such notifications, they can understand any disruptions are due to issues with their network or bandwidth rather than the site or Kiteworks. Additionally, I work from offshore India, and I told my client manager to communicate with the Kiteworks forum salesman regarding one feature. I noticed the Kiteworks login UI is very basic, lacking customization. Allowing more HTML tags to add hyperlinks or user-friendly information on the home page would be very useful.
Hemanthreddy Vakiti - PeerSpot reviewer
Data engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Collaborating securely across project teams has improved communication and streamlined workflows
In my view, Microsoft 365 Business has all the features, but there are some areas for improvement. One area is that the licensing structure can be confusing, especially with the different plans, so understanding each plan is somewhat difficult. When using large Excel files, such as extracting data from an SQL query and pasting it into Excel, it sometimes encounters performance issues when dealing with large files. Integration with non-Microsoft tools is sometimes limited; however, integration within the Microsoft tools is very good. It would be useful if it were possible to integrate with other tools outside of Microsoft. Managing permissions and access in SharePoint and Teams can be complex for new users, but once they become familiar with the tool, they can manage it easily. The security and permissions for new users in SharePoint and Teams can be made more intuitive for them. Additionally, the pricing structure, which involves explaining different plans, could be clearer to help users easily choose the plan they need. Improving performance when working on large Excel files would also be beneficial.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"Kiteworks is easy to manage and maintain with a user-friendly interface and I recommend it to anyone that requires a file-sharing system that supports SFTP."
"I can identify from which region our users are uploading or downloading files."
"I like Kiteworks or Accellion because it's continuously upgraded. I also know that it probably works with a lot of clients."
"The solution can be used remotely, including from mobiles, and it's easy to upload and share files."
"The most valuable aspect of Kiteworks is undoubtedly the private content network. This feature is particularly beneficial for us. Furthermore, it serves as a centralized platform that enables us to track and manage our information exchange."
"The solution can be used remotely; it's easy to upload and share files."
"We could see whether the customer with whom we shared a file had downloaded it, which was not available with GitHub."
"It’s a great product that you should seriously consider and take the first step by training."
"I like the user interface, it's pretty good, data security is also there, and it gives you more storage space, and it supports iOS and Android, which is good."
"The initial setup is very straightforward."
"Previously, we were using another solution, but Microsoft is easier and everything is synchronized."
"We use the modules for non-specific, everyday tasks including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, and others."
"In terms of user experience, it is very easy to use and flexible."
"The solution allows for easy collaboration. You are able to use, for example, Excel and go online to the cloud and save your documents offline rather than on a personal hard drive. In my organization, we promote collaboration when possible and this solution does a good job at providing this functionality. The solution is always updated and we receive the latest features. Additionally, they offer many other services we do not use very much but are available, such as Power BI."
"Feature-wise, everything is okay. We are getting the latest version of the application. You also don't need to manage anything. Everything is running at the backend. The best part is that even if there is a failure in the on-prem active directory, users can still access mails. You can configure MFA easily and protect the mailboxes. Integrity and confidentiality are there. In this aspect, I am very happy with Microsoft."
"The most valuable features have been the performance and ease of use."
 

Cons

"There are always issues when there are bugs or upgrades. The challenge with upgrading is getting more storage from the customer. Every time we have a new version, it requires additional storage. This means that the customer would need to procure more storage for their server, which they don't like because it means additional cost to them. So, I think my request would be that the version upgrades don't require any significant storage requirement."
"It would be nice if Kiteworks could provide a free version of the platform so that it could be used for a certain number of file transfers. We could be charged a fee if we exceeded the number of allotted file transfers."
"Perhaps there could be a notification to users about their bandwidth or network packet loss."
"I would like to see immediate releases of fixes because now it takes at least a week. If that time span can be reduced to one day or two days, that would be very helpful for users so that things are sorted and transactions work smoothly."
"The one feature, which I have also requested directly to Kiteworks, is to have a scheduled upgrade function. Currently, one of my engineers logs in after hours for the upgrade. We're a hospital, and we're 24/7, but the primary users are seven to five. So, we log in the early evening just to push a button to tell it to do the update. It would be nice if that could be very easily scheduled."
"File location could be improved."
"Kiteworks could benefit from enhancing the proposal knowledge base section, specifically regarding the type of work involved. Currently, the knowledge base seems insufficiently dedicated to this topic, making it challenging for new users to access the relevant administrative law. Improving the visual aids and providing clearer explanations could alleviate this issue."
"There is one particular thing that is a nuisance."
"Had you asked me two months ago, I would have said just fine, but I know Microsoft has had some issues recently. I would say that it's fairly stable, but I think that all the increased traffic from COVID and people working from home has resulted in it being less stable."
"The platform's security aspect needs improvement. They should include an inbuilt security feature."
"Microsoft Teams for Mac isn't quite good enough yet."
"There is an error in the languages which creates a very big problem."
"If you are deleting your data and relying on backup, the backups do not exist, they are not there."
"Other than the price, I have not had any issues with this solution."
"Occasionally, it does go down, however, for the most part, it's fine."
"At this point, I cannot say if there has been an advantage to changing."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The license management is changing and confusing. If I could make one change to it, it would be better license management through the API."
"The solution is very expensive because we are buying with Malaysian Ringgit and it's sold in US dollars."
"I believe it's a little costly, but given the faith that we put into it from a security perspective to maintain the integrity of our patient information that is being transferred through this system, that's a small price to pay. So, on the surface, it might look like a lot of money, but depending on the need for security, which is where we feel it shines, it's okay price-wise."
"It is not really expensive. I mean, to me it's obviously expensive, but it's worth it."
"They changed it midstream. We were being charged a certain flat rate for SFTP traffic. For whatever reason, at the beginning of the year, our pricing changed, and we are now being charged more for using a feature of the product than we were when we first bought it. That has been our experience with billing. It turned out to be more expensive than when we started with it."
"The price of Kiteworks is reasonable."
"The price is high."
"The solution is expensive. Basic support comes free with the regular subscription but the premier support cost extra."
"Microsoft 365 Business could be cheaper."
"Our fees are paid monthly."
"Given the current COVID situation, I am quite happy that we use this product. With a cheaper solution, we might end up needing support."
"Its price is what you would expect today from a software-as-a-service offering. It is somewhere around $10 per user per month."
"We pay a monthly licensing fee for Microsoft 365 Business."
"The solution is very cheap."
report
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Financial Services Firm
13%
Government
11%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction Company
15%
Marketing Services Firm
13%
Performing Arts
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business3
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business114
Midsize Enterprise44
Large Enterprise102
 

Questions from the Community

What is Kiteworks?
Kiteworks is a secured file sharing platform that enables users to collaborate with different parties across a robust offering of secured protected channels. Users have the option of virtual privat...
What needs improvement with Kiteworks?
I'm not a network expert, however, there must be some room for improvement. Perhaps there could be a notification to users about their bandwidth or network packet loss. If users receive such notifi...
What advice do you have for others considering Kiteworks?
Scalability is impressive. It can be highly available, resilient, and scalable infrastructure. I can confidently give it a nine. It suits any level of organization, whether a small setup with two a...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft 365 Business?
My experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing shows that pricing is reasonable, but it depends on the plan, as some advanced security features require higher-tier licenses.
What needs improvement with Microsoft 365 Business?
Microsoft 365 Business can be improved because sometimes the admin portal can be confusing, especially for a new user, and policies are spread across multiple dashboards. Better centralized visibil...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft 365 Business?
My main use case for Microsoft 365 Business is securing collaboration, email security, and identity management across the organization. A specific example of how I use Microsoft 365 Business for em...
 

Also Known As

Accellion
Microsoft 365 E3, Microsoft 365 E5, Microsoft 365 F1, MS 365 Business
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

United States Securities and Exchange Commission, National Health Service, Husch Blackwell LLP, NYC Health + Hospitals, Viatris, MITRE Corporation, Chubb, Kraft Heinz, KPMG, Kohler, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Purdue Pharma, AVL
Urban Agriculture Co., The Detroit Wallpaper Co., TransBlue Facility Management, Garner Food Company
Find out what your peers are saying about Kiteworks vs. Microsoft 365 Business and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,244 professionals have used our research since 2012.