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Microsoft Exchange Online vs ProtonMail comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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
7.5
Number of Reviews
90
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
ProtonMail
Ranking in Email Applications
10th
Average Rating
9.0
Number of Reviews
1
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 14.1%, down from 15.5% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of ProtonMail is 5.3%, up from 3.7% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

NancyHartman - PeerSpot reviewer
Effective collaboration achieved with versatile features and good customer service
There are always improvements needed. 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. I am not an IT person; I am an educator, a trainer, a user. I want to get the work done. However, I find that the Exchange Server and possibly the way our company has set up access permissions require extensive programming knowledge. It might take six to eight weeks to get a programmer's time to build something, whereas I can use something like Smartsheet that will do everything I want without needing a programmer. Smartsheet is more end-user friendly compared to a Microsoft product. Microsoft believes an expert IT person should manage everything, however, I want to manage things on my own in a simplified way. That is not easy using the Exchange Server or Microsoft Office. It is not end-user friendly for development, and a programmer is needed. Once set up, using them as an end-user is fine. I find that the automations are not robust, and the FedRAMP systems are not robust. I have a few issues with Exchange and Office, but there's nothing I can do about it.
Secure email communication facilitates safe financial exchanges and enhances data privacy
I use ProtonMail for exchanging invoicing with clients, managing financial information, and receiving notifications from bank accounts and investment brokers. It's dedicated to high-importance communication involving financial information The auto encryption of attachments is valuable. ProtonMail…

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"I have found the interface to be user-friendly and the overall simplicity valuable features."
"The most valuable feature is the cloud environment."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is its ease of use."
"Its most valuable feature is the unlimited storage. It also has very little downtime."
"The solution is stable."
"The best thing about Microsoft Exchange Online is that it's integrated with the Outlook application."
"We also create technical presentations, so most of the time we are dealing with MS Word and Excel. Sometimes, we also use Visio for diagramming. Our overall experience is good."
"It is a reasonable solution."
"The auto encryption of attachments is valuable."
 

Cons

"The pricing could be cheaper."
"When you migrate from on-prem to cloud, if you choose to or are forced to do the hybrid, they need to devise a way to undo the hybrid."
"It is tricky to integrate Microsoft Exchange Online if you are in an infrastructure provided by other vendors."
"We would like to have more automation with Microsoft Exchange Online."
"There is room for improvement in terms of security, as it could be better."
"The interface is a bit confusing."
"The support could improve their response time and sometimes the phone lines are not clear because of static or noise. However, the agents are knowledgeable and very helpful."
"Migration can be an issue if you do not have a good audit process."
"One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Microsoft Exchange Online security could improve. The overall price of the solution is reasonable."
"We pay a yearly licensing fee for the solution."
"The pricing is really high. It's higher compared to other services."
"My company needs to make monthly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product. I feel that the price of the product is affordable."
"Initially, we had issues with the licensing agreement, but we worked it out with Microsoft."
"This solution requires a license."
"The cost is around $12 to $16 per user."
"The model is one which is pay-per-use go. There is no license. We are talking about per-user subscription-based use."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
12%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Government
7%
Comms Service Provider
6%
Educational Organization
12%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
11%
Retailer
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange Online?
The pricing for Microsoft Exchange Online is quite reasonable, in my opinion. Many licensing options are available so that we can choose based on the customer's needs. For example, if a customer on...
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?
There are always improvements needed. 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 o...
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.
What needs improvement with ProtonMail?
The UI was previously cumbersome, however, it has improved. One improvement could be the integration between ProtonMail and Proton Pass, allowing sharing of specific secrets via email. However, thi...
What is your primary use case for ProtonMail?
I use ProtonMail for exchanging invoicing with clients, managing financial information, and receiving notifications from bank accounts and investment brokers. It's dedicated to high-importance comm...
 

Also Known As

Exchange Online, Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, MS Exchange Online
No data available
 

Overview

 

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
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851,604 professionals have used our research since 2012.