Microsoft Exchange Online vs ProtonMail comparison

Microsoft and Proton Technologies are both solutions in the Email Applications category. Microsoft is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.8, while Proton Technologies is ranked #10 with an average rating of 8.5. Microsoft holds a 11.1% mindshare in EA, compared to Proton Technologies’s 7.5% mindshare. Additionally, 96% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 66% of Proton Technologies users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Exchange Online

Read 92 Microsoft Exchange Online reviews

4,197 Views
4,029 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

ProtonMail

Read 2 ProtonMail reviews

1,418 Views
1,418 Comparison Views

66% willing to recommend

Microsoft Exchange Online

ProtonMail

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between Microsoft Exchange Online and ProtonMail based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out in this report how the two Email Applications solutions compare in terms of features, pricing, service and support, easy of deployment, and ROI.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Exchange Online vs. ProtonMail Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange Online vs. ProtonMail

February 2026

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Helped 881,665 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

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

ProtonMail

Ranking in Email Applications

10th

Average Rating

8.6

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 11.1%, down from 14.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ProtonMail is 7.5%, up from 3.9% 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%
ProtonMail	7.5%
Other	81.4%

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

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.

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reviewer68329471

Media Content Creator Intern

Trust and anonymity play a key role in secure communications

I am uncertain about the two-factor authentication feature. I have had integrations with other Proton services and have used Proton VPN once, though it has limited features. Simple Mail, which was acquired by ProtonMail, has been very useful for me. The pricing is moderate. I have not used any paid services from ProtonMail. It is not very costly, but I have not used any premium services. I am a customer of ProtonMail. I would rate ProtonMail an eight out of ten due to their transparency and the utility of their simple login feature. My job and company name should remain hidden.

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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

"The solution is stable."

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

"The best thing about Microsoft Exchange Online is that it's integrated with the Outlook application."

"Stability has increased exponentially since 2010."

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

"The initial setup was straightforward."

"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is it helps the IT department with problems."

"It's easy to use and there is more integration."

More Microsoft Exchange Online pros

"The auto encryption of attachments is valuable."

"What I appreciate most about ProtonMail is that they are trusted, which is why I choose them."

Cons

"From an IT perspective, we need clearer documentation to understand the product’s configuration process."

"Improving the methods for inputting email signatures could be beneficial for the product."

"The solution should have more integration with other platforms."

"There is room for improvement in Microsoft Exchange Online."

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

"The solution’s pricing could be better."

"We use different software for email spoofing filters and similar functions because Exchange is quite limited in this area."

"The configuration of the solution's on-premise version is a little bit difficult, and its troubleshooting is more difficult than the installation itself."

More Microsoft Exchange Online cons

"I think it is good but I feel that only tech-savvy people use ProtonMail. It is not that popular among other people."

"One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"We have a three-year license for $25,000."

"I would give the cost a five out of ten."

"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."

"Microsoft Exchange Online is an affordable solution."

"It is a cluster solution."

"The costs of this platform vary based on subscriptions, but it is generally reasonable."

"Initially, we had issues with the licensing agreement, but we worked it out 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."

More Microsoft Exchange Online pricing and cost advice

Information not available

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

Financial Services Firm

Educational Organization

Manufacturing Company

Comms Service Provider

22%

Educational Organization

Computer Software Company

Government

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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

No data available

Questions from the Community

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...

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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.

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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 ...

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for ProtonMail?

The pricing is competitive, offering good value on the average plan. It’s approximately $100 for annual billing.

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What needs improvement with ProtonMail?

In terms of what can be improved in ProtonMail, I think it is good but I feel that only tech-savvy people use ProtonMail. It is not that popular among other people. Therefore, we do not use it for ...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for ProtonMail?

My use cases include using ProtonMail for Drive occasionally for storing files. After some time, I stopped using that feature. Primarily, I use it for sending emails when I want to maintain anonymi...

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Comparisons

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Open-Xchange vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 18% of the time

Amazon WorkMail vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 10% of the time

Zimbra Collaboration vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 7% of the time

HCL Notes vs Microsoft Exchange Online

Compared 4% of the time

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Compared 27% of the time

Atomic Mail vs ProtonMail

Compared 19% of the time

Zoho Mail vs ProtonMail

Compared 15% of the time

Microsoft Exchange vs ProtonMail

Compared 10% of the time

Superhuman vs ProtonMail

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange Online

January 2026

Download Microsoft Exchange Online product report

Buyer's Guide

Email Applications

January 2026

Download ProtonMail product report

Also Known As

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

No data available

Overview

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

ProtonMail is the world‘s largest encrypted email provider, with over 11 million users trusting us to secure their data every day. We are the email service of choice for security-conscious enterprises.

Proton Technologies

Sample Customers

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

Wall street journal,The New york times, The Gurdian, Forbes, Fox News

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange Online vs. ProtonMail

February 2026

Free Report: Microsoft Exchange Online vs. ProtonMail

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange Online vs. ProtonMail and other solutions. Updated: February 2026.

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