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Microsoft Exchange Online vs OpenText GroupWise comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 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

Microsoft Exchange Online
Ranking in Email Applications
2nd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
93
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
OpenText GroupWise
Ranking in Email Applications
12th
Average Rating
9.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.8
Number of Reviews
3
Ranking in other categories
Wireless Email (3rd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 9.6%, down from 13.0% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of OpenText GroupWise is 2.6%, up from 1.3% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online9.6%
OpenText GroupWise2.6%
Other87.8%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Yogesh Autade - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Security Engineer at Softcell Technologies Limited
Integrated email security has improved phishing response and provides better threat visibility
Microsoft Exchange Online could be improved with more intuitive administration workflows, better troubleshooting visibility, and simpler mail flow analysis for complex environments. We would also appreciate more granular reporting, faster access to detailed message tracking data, and improved alerting around suspicious mailbox activity to help security and messaging teams investigate issues more efficiently. One area where Microsoft Exchange Online could improve is the administrative user experience. Some advanced mail flow, compliance, and troubleshooting tasks still require navigating multiple Microsoft portals. A more unified management interface and deeper integration visibility across Exchange, Defender, and Microsoft 365 security tools would make day-to-day operations more efficient for administrators and SOC teams.
JN
Consulting Manager at Technical Consulting Resources
Great security, stability, versatility, expandability and low cost of ownership.
I like the ease of login best in GroupWise. With the desktop client you can login to GroupWise independently of the PC login and it has Web Client that can be used if your prefer not to install the client or are using a PC that does not have the GroupWise Client installed. I also like its user proxy capabilities. I also like the level of security that it provides. Additionally, it comes with GroupWise Messenger for secure instant messaging to desktop or mobile devices. It integrates well with the email on your mobile devices and smart phones via GroupWise Mobile Services.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution really does save us a lot of time, and we saved a significant amount of money by using this service."
"Office 365 is one of the strongest solutions that I've seen."
"We have found the solution to be stable."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is its performance."
"It's not hard to set up."
"Microsoft Exchange Online has positively impacted our organization by improving our email reliability, security, and operational efficiency across the organization."
"The overall usage was all good."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is it helps the IT department with problems."
"I would advise others who are looking into implementing this product to go for it."
"The solution is very flexible and has great storage capacity."
"Very secure with great storage capacity."
"I like the ease of logging best in Micro Focus GroupWise. I also like its proxy capabilities from a user level. I also like how secure Micro Focus GroupWise is."
"The cost-effectiveness of the solution is most valuable."
 

Cons

"When we need to purchase additional licenses for additional users, the process is slow."
"The efficiency could be improved."
"The mail-blocking feature is not great and could be improved."
"We'd like to have the ability to recall emails on the web. I'm not sure if that is available yet."
"My personal issue with using OfficeSuite and the Exchange Server is that one has to cobble together a whole bunch of different applications. Therefore, a lot of scripting and programming knowledge is necessary."
"The stability of the solution has room for improvement."
"I have found that Microsoft has vulnerabilities when it comes to Exchange Online. It has become the port of a lot of hacker attacks."
"Tech support is a challenge at times. They take a long time to respond."
"Their support can be improved. It is not as good as it used to be."
"The WebAccess feature is somewhat lacking and could be improved."
"What I don't like about Micro Focus GroupWise is the removal of the Unix client. Micro Focus took that function away about ten years ago because there wasn't enough demand for it."
"Customer support did what they could but we had some issues because it required coordination between GroupWise and SUSE Linux or the Micro Focus storage support. It became a ping pong between these two parts of the same company and was unpleasant."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing is a bit more expensive than other solutions."
"The pricing could be improved."
"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 price of Microsoft Exchange Online security could improve. The overall price of the solution is reasonable."
"I find it reasonably priced."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
"I think that the price is a little high, especially considering that Google have a similar, free email solution."
"We have an enterprise agreement for licensing."
"Micro Focus GroupWise is the most affordable solution on-premises. Versus Microsoft Exchange on-premises, pricing is 20:1, so there's no comparison. Micro Focus GroupWise is cheaper, though, for my clients, it's not about the cost but the stability and security of the solution."
"It was a part of the suite, so it was very cost-effective. There were no costs beyond the licensing fee."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
9%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction Company
7%
Comms Service Provider
13%
Computer Software Company
13%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Outsourcing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business41
Midsize Enterprise17
Large Enterprise41
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?
Microsoft Exchange Online could be improved with more intuitive administration workflows, better troubleshooting visibility, and simpler mail flow analysis for complex environments. We would also a...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online?
Microsoft Exchange Online serves as our enterprise email hosting platform, providing secure mail flow management and centralized messaging services for users across multiple locations. From a secur...
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Also Known As

Exchange Online, Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, MS Exchange Online
Micro Focus GroupWise, GroupWise
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Bank Alfalah Ltd., Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Blue Star Infotech, Scitec Nutrition, Resolution Films, British Airways, Empire Cinemas, InnoGames
Heritage Oaks Bank
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online vs. OpenText GroupWise and other solutions. Updated: August 2026.
908,858 professionals have used our research since 2012.