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Microsoft Exchange vs Zarafa comparison

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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
Ranking in Email Applications
3rd
Average Rating
8.4
Reviews Sentiment
6.6
Number of Reviews
95
Ranking in other categories
Wireless Email (2nd)
Zarafa
Ranking in Email Applications
16th
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
4.5
Number of Reviews
2
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of November 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange is 6.9%, down from 11.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zarafa is 1.9%, up from 0.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Exchange6.9%
Zarafa1.9%
Other91.2%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

AS
Bookkeeper at FCA - Victoria Point
Reliable email service has supported consistent communication and improved user training
I do use Cisco Secure Email, Grafis, and Proofpoint Email Protection when needed, but we were using Proofpoint before, and we are no longer using it. I am currently using Microsoft Exchange as our email solution. We are a client of Microsoft; there is no partnership between my company and Microsoft. My experience with Microsoft Exchange is as good as the generic email. I do not use Microsoft Exchange to synchronize emails across devices, and it is not part of my workflow. The protocols I mostly use with Microsoft Exchange for integration are SMTP. I do not use the shared calendars feature in Microsoft Exchange. Data loss prevention is something we are not really using or utilizing at the moment. My overall review rating for Microsoft Exchange is 8.
it_user302112 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Consultant IT Infrastructure at a tech consulting company with 51-200 employees
Our customers are able to use this groupware solution to connect to Active Directory and OpenLDAP, although Postgres support would be an improvement.
Zarafa has several very valuable features, among them a very good Outlook-like web interface. Furthermore, ZPush for talking between ActiveSync and mobile devices is a valuable asset. In addition, one is able to connect via Outlook and the exchange protocol to Zarafa. This makes Zarafa a free, and working, alternative to Microsoft Exchange.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"In general, this is a good product and I am happy with it."
"If you don't really mind the cost then go for Microsoft."
"We have found it to be a stable solution. It is scalable and easy to install."
"The interface is user-friendly."
"It integrates well with calendar, scheduling, etc. It's easy for employees to make meetings and plan their agendas."
"Exchange is a robust system that is well suited for an enterprise environment. It's always up, and we hardly face any technical issues. Exchange has a web interface and integrates perfectly with Microsoft Outlook. This web interface can be easily used to change the passwords from the domain controllers."
"For me, the solution is very user-friendly. I've used it a long time and I know where everything is."
"It is a very scalable solution."
"This makes Zarafa a free, and working, alternative to Microsoft Exchange."
 

Cons

"Microsoft Exchange could improve by adding artificial intelligence."
"At the end of the day, the biggest area for improvement is having better and more knowledgeable support technicians."
"The solution could be more user-friendly."
"The management of .pst files and archiving need improvement."
"The product or service could be improved in terms of Microsoft Outlook client compatibility."
"In the version we have, I would like to see better communication between the end device and the Exchange server."
"I'd like the archiving process to be faster."
"The pricing could be better, and it could have an easier implementation."
"Not really, although the Zarafa-index component was using a lot of memory and disk I/O bandwith."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"Microsoft doesn't have a unit price, it's based on the quantity, and they offer great discounts."
"Microsoft Exchange is a very well-priced solution."
"Microsoft Exchange is an inexpensive application."
"We can get Exchange in the cloud along with the Microsoft 365 license."
"Its price is okay."
"It would be nice if it used less resources to run on-premise."
"The pricing is expensive."
"I don't have enough information about the licensing costs of Microsoft Exchange, but I do know that you need two types of licenses to run it. You need the product key and the client access key to activate Microsoft Exchange. This means that apart from the standard Microsoft Exchange licensing fees, you have to pay additional costs."
Information not available
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
13%
Construction Company
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Comms Service Provider
9%
No data available
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business43
Midsize Enterprise28
Large Enterprise35
No data available
 

Questions from the Community

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...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange?
I am aware of pricing aspects, and I would say it is affordable for what it is.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange?
I see some drawbacks and areas for improvement; the quarantining is not fantastic. I think the quarantining is not fantastic because it lets a lot of spam through, and when it is notified of spam, ...
Ask a question
Earn 20 points
 

Also Known As

Exchange, MS Exchange
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Scitec Nutrition, British Airways, InnoGames, Osteology Foundation, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, NTC Contracting
Tivoli, InterAkt Contour, Riagg Rijnmond, Lammerink, Revell, KMP, International School of the Hague
Find out what your peers are saying about Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and others in Email Applications. Updated: October 2026.
920,574 professionals have used our research since 2012.