I use Microsoft Exchange more for organizing tasks than as an email client. We have integrated Exchange with Teams for organization and communication.
DevOps Platform Engineer at a tech vendor with 5,001-10,000 employees
Organizing tasks effectively with seamless integration and good compatibility
Pros and Cons
- "The most used feature of Microsoft Exchange is the email capability, especially since it integrates with the calendar."
- "The filtering of spam needs significant improvement, as many spam emails are not getting detected."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most used feature of Microsoft Exchange is the email capability, especially since it integrates with the calendar. We integrate Exchange with Teams, and the single sign-on feature is very helpful. I use Exchange to organize tasks with implemented rules, and its integration with Teams enhances our organizational abilities.
What needs improvement?
The filtering of spam needs significant improvement, as many spam emails are not getting detected. Exchange should provide higher security and better spam filtering.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Exchange for more than ten years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution has faced performance issues, especially lagging, in recent updates.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability is not a major issue, as it's easy to scale up and provide Exchange access to new users.
How are customer service and support?
I do not need to contact Microsoft directly as the IT department handles any support interactions for us.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Exchange is straightforward. It requires simply having a user and password to initiate, and a lot of the process is automated.
What was our ROI?
Microsoft Exchange saves time by allowing users to send emails or set schedules instead of making calls or holding meetings.
What other advice do I have?
I can recommend using Microsoft Exchange as it is a functional product, but users should be aware of cybersecurity issues and potential spam. It is important for users to be cautious when opening or forwarding emails. My total rating for Microsoft Exchange is eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head of Engineering at a tech vendor with 201-500 employees
Effective communication tools with a good exchange server and good scalability
Pros and Cons
- "With the cloud coming in, scalability is not an issue even for Microsoft."
- "I do not have any notes for improvement."
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Exchange as our mail server. Google is free, so I use it for my personal use, and for our office, we have the 365 option.
What is most valuable?
I use Exchange Server for email. That's why I am using Outlook for Exchange email.
What needs improvement?
I do not have any notes for improvement.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I face some issues. No system is perfect, so I do face issues. They fix it and then get going.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
With the cloud coming in, scalability is not an issue even for Microsoft. They probably will be able to scale up and scale down as and where it's required. Scalability probably is not proper.
How are customer service and support?
I contact my technical support team, and they probably might be able to troubleshoot it on their own. If not, they'll take a ticket. I have a technical support team, the help desk, who will try to resolve it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
For my personal use, I am using Google Gmail, and I am okay with it.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I am satisfied with the product. I am used to it, and it's all good. From my experience, I would rate the product stability eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
January 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: January 2026.
881,733 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Consultant at a consultancy with 11-50 employees
Needs to offer better support services but is beneficial for managing emails
Pros and Cons
- "The tool's most valuable feature is associated with the fact that it stands out for being beneficial for managing emails."
- "At the end of the day, the biggest area for improvement is having better and more knowledgeable support technicians."
What is our primary use case?
I use the solution in my company because it is an email system, and it can be hard to get by without one. I also use the tool for different companies and offer support for it. As a consultant, I support it for many different organizations. I use the tool across a whole bunch of different industries, so there are too many to name.
What is most valuable?
The tool's most valuable feature is associated with the fact that it stands out for being beneficial for managing emails.
What needs improvement?
At the end of the day, the biggest area for improvement is having better and more knowledgeable support technicians. Anytime I have to call in with issues about Microsoft Exchange, I know more about it than the consultants or some other people to whom Microsoft pays to offer support for the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have experience with Microsoft Exchange since it came into existence. I used to work at Microsoft, so I have been familiar with Microsoft Exchange when it was Microsoft BPOS. My company has a partnership with Microsoft.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability-wise, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I am a small business person, so the tool's scalability is just fine.
The tool is meant for small businesses.
How are customer service and support?
I rate the technical support a zero out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Negative
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I don't see any differences between Microsoft Exchange and some other email applications I have used. Microsoft Exchange is just a tool. The biggest I see in Microsoft Exchange is that it is much easier to access it through multiple platforms.
What was our ROI?
There is no ROI from the use of the tool in my company. It is a required piece of tool for business. I can have a functionality-related discussion about the tool that I need to run the business. The tool's ROI discussion is kind of moot for me.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution's pricing is fine. There are not many options out there, so it is not fair to rate the tool's pricing on a scale of one to ten. I do think the tool offers value for money.
What other advice do I have?
The security and compliance features impacted our organization to a minimal extent because we use third-party products for most of such stuff.
Speaking about the tool's integration capabilities with other software, I would say that they vary a lot, so some things are good, while some areas are challenging.
I utilize the mobile access features of the tool all the time.
Speaking about the tool's productivity, I would say it is the number one email platform in the world. The product works just fine. It does what I need it to do. The only time I get frustrated is when it breaks down or doesn't do things the way it is supposed to and when the support people are unable to assist me.
As I support Microsoft Exchange for many people, I can recommend it to others.
When the tool is working just fine, it is a great product. When it breaks and I cannot get it working the way it is supposed to, it is bad.
I rate the tool a five out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Security Manager at a computer software company with 11-50 employees
Provides seamless integration with other Microsoft products and good graphical interface
Pros and Cons
- "I find the Outlook client very valuable. It allows me to connect to the Exchange Server and send and receive emails easily. The graphical interface is user-friendly and has a good look and feel."
- "I would like to see the search capability of the Outlook client improved"
What is our primary use case?
The main use cases are sending and receiving emails, managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and integrating with Microsoft Teams.
What is most valuable?
I find the Outlook client very valuable. It allows me to connect to the Exchange Server and send and receive emails easily. The graphical interface is user-friendly and has a good look and feel.
Additionally, I appreciate its seamless integration with other Microsoft solutions like Teams and To-Do.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see the search capability of the Outlook client improved. I would like to be able to search emails by date, sender, recipient, or attachment.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for more the ten years. We use the latest version. It's the cloud version of the Microsoft 365 solution that includes the Exchange Server. So, we use the latest solution provided by Microsoft in their cloud environment.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a ten out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is quite scalable when it comes to Microsoft products. I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten.
We all use this solution in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
We have often contacted customer service and support. It's a widely used product around the world. We often turn to community resources. When we are not able to solve a problem we contact our system integrator.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We switched to Microsoft because Exchange is the most integrated with other Microsoft products.
How was the initial setup?
If you're using Microsoft 365, it's very easy to setup since Microsoft manages most of it. You simply configure your clients to connect to the Microsoft server using your credentials.
For on-premises solutions, it's a bit more complex as you need to set up and configure servers. You also have to manage roles and permissions, which is not required for the cloud solution.
The setup time can vary. For a small environment, it can take a day or less, especially if you're using a cloud solution like Microsoft 365. However, for larger deployments, there's additional work involved in configuring and optimizing the system.
Many users prefer Microsoft 365 as a cloud solution, which is easy to set up. However, there are still users who opt for on-premises solutions, which require more setup and management. Some are transitioning from on-premises to the cloud for better flexibility and management.
What about the implementation team?
We require a few people for the maintenance of the solution. It's easy to manage. We have one dedicated technician.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For the cloud version, we have to pay. On-premises versions include some licensing, like Office 365 packages. There are variations.
The pricing is reasonable. It's not too expensive. It's comparable to Google, but Google offers fewer features.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We considered Linux-based products and Google products.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten.
I surely recommend Exchange. The recommendation is to manage the change process correctly, such as the access system, MFA, password change policy, and complex passwords. You should also use Microsoft's email anti-malware solution to resolve issues and avoid phishing campaigns.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Chief Operating Officer at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Provides easy exchange of files, documents, and simple setup
Pros and Cons
- "The deployment is a plug-and-play process."
- "I don't have the best impression of customer service and support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human. T"
What is our primary use case?
We use it to share information and collaborate with each other, even when we're working remotely.
We exchange files and documents, and we also use it to store recordings and other information from meetings with our customers.
What is most valuable?
What needs improvement?
There are some bad days or hard ways when it's tough to connect with people who don't have MS Teams products. But this is only a hard situation when we need to communicate with people outside MS Teams.
So the connectivity could be improved.
Another area of improvement is the sharing of files, the sharing part of Teams. How I can easily share information files or video files with the colleagues I'm working with? So, this is an area for valuable improvement.
Another area of improvement is support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for the last five years. We use the latest version.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I would rate the stability a seven out of ten. There are hard days.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very easy to scale. Just add on licensing and keep working the same way.
There are around eight end users in our company. It's suitable for our current level. We're a small company, so it's quite okay.
How are customer service and support?
I don't have the best impression of customer service and support. It should be faster and more clear, and more human. The support team deep dives into thousands of documentation pages, making problem-solving time-consuming without human interaction.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is very straightforward. It just took a minute. It is very easy.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment is a plug-and-play process. You simply need to access the administrator platform, set up the configurations easily, and share enrollment links with people. It's a very easy process.
The deployment was done in-house. However, you need an IT-oriented person, an IT manager with knowledge of Microsoft.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The license can be both monthly or yearly. It is not expensive.
What other advice do I have?
It's a useful tool for remote work and communication. Start slow and educate yourself. Learn about the solution and give it a try.
Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Head Section of Projects Development at a hospitality company with 11-50 employees
Good functionality, good integration, and helps make email very accessible
Pros and Cons
- "The exchange functionalities are good."
- "I'd like the archiving process to be faster."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for email and passing on information between the company's user base.
What is most valuable?
The exchange functionalities are good. It helps ensure information is accessible and can move between people in the company. The exchange of email is very easy.
The integration is very good.
The Microsoft visuals are very helpful.
We're able to work on SQL servers with no issues.
What needs improvement?
I can't say there are any missing features.
I'd like the archiving process to be faster.
They could offer better performance and enhancements throughout the product.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft for 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable and reliable. There are no bugs or glitches, and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. I'd rate the overall stability eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is a scalable product. A company would have no issues if it needed to expand.
The solution is mainly used by all end-users. Everyone in the company has it. That's about 1,500 users.
How are customer service and support?
I have never reached out to technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have never worked with other similar products.
How was the initial setup?
Others work on the deployment and configuration process. I did not take part in the implementation process.
I have five colleagues that handle all aspects of Microsoft maintenance, including any needed maintenance for Exchange. One is an admin on Exchange. The others handle other Microsoft products.
What other advice do I have?
I am using the latest version of the solution.
I'm an end-user. As an end-user, the solution works well to the point I don't really know it's there. My company is a Microsoft customer.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Technical Consultant
Integrates well with other tools and software; scalable and has good stability
Pros and Cons
- "What I love about Microsoft Exchange is the good integration since 2013, particularly its integration with the calendar and other software such as Zoom, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc."
- "After 2022, users of Microsoft Exchange have to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online, and what I'd like to improve is for Microsoft to publish more on-premise versions for customers using Microsoft Exchange. Having more security is another room for improvement in the solution, particularly for mailboxes that develop the Exchange Edge rule to protect internal mailboxes. What I'd like to see from Microsoft Exchange in the future is for Microsoft to still update the latest, existing version which is 2022. I'd like Microsoft to still push more cumulative updates for Microsoft Exchange 2022."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Exchange is the main mail server of Microsoft. It's a popular mail server, so a common use case for Microsoft Exchange is for small, medium, and enterprise-scale businesses. It's a mail solution, voicemail solution, live calendar solution, etc.
What is most valuable?
What I love about Microsoft Exchange is the good integration since 2013, particularly its integration with the calendar and other software such as Zoom, TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc.
What needs improvement?
After 2022, users of Microsoft Exchange have to migrate mailboxes to Microsoft Exchange Online, and what I'd like to improve is for Microsoft to publish more on-premise versions for customers using Microsoft Exchange. Having more security is another room for improvement in the solution, particularly for mailboxes that develop the Exchange Edge rule to protect internal mailboxes.
What I'd like to see from Microsoft Exchange in the future is for Microsoft to still update the latest, existing version which is 2022. I'd like Microsoft to still push more cumulative updates for Microsoft Exchange 2022.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft Exchange for two years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I'm impressed with Microsoft Exchange, and I'm rating it five out of five, stability-wise.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Exchange is a scalable solution.
How was the initial setup?
Setting up Microsoft Exchange from 2016 to 2022 in an SMB environment is straightforward because Microsoft combined all the cache, hubs, and mailboxes into one server. For large enterprises, the initial setup for Microsoft Exchange isn't as straightforward because large enterprises require more sophisticated setups.
How long it takes to deploy Microsoft Exchange depends on the size of the environment. For example, if I'm going to implement the solution in a small or medium-sized customer environment, then the deployment would take approximately one to two days, but if I'm implementing Microsoft Exchange for a more complex environment that has a minimum of 10 mailboxes and multiple sites, the deployment alone can take up to one week.
What about the implementation team?
My team is responsible for deploying Microsoft Exchange for customers, so the implementation is in-house. I lead the deployment team.
What was our ROI?
The ROI you get from Microsoft Exchange can be very, very broad in terms of values. The solution, particularly the on-premise version, can save you additional costs compared to deploying it on the cloud, but the downside is the maintenance cost, and during new releases or updates, you may want to schedule the downtime in advance.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
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.
What other advice do I have?
I'm working in a professional service company that's implementing Microsoft Exchange on-premises for customers. I implemented the solution on-premises in 2016, 2019, and 2022. In 2016, I also performed a migration from Microsoft Exchange to Microsoft Exchange Online.
My current company has between fifty to one hundred users of Microsoft Exchange, but in terms of the number of clients my team has implemented the solution for on-premises, it's potentially five thousand.
Deploying Microsoft Exchange for SMB would require just two people, but deploying it for enterprise-scale businesses would require a minimum of three people. Maintaining Microsoft Exchange requires five to seven people for SMBs, and up to twelve in enterprise environments because maintaining the solution isn't as easy.
My advice to anyone looking into implementing or using Microsoft Exchange is the same advice I give to my team every day, which is to be more aware of new information found on the internet in terms of troubleshooting Microsoft Exchange problems. You should also keep on training about sophisticated setups for the solution because you deal with aggressive customers, so I encourage my team to learn about Microsoft Exchange designs, troubleshooting mechanisms, etc.
I'm rating Microsoft Exchange as nine out of ten.
My company is an implementer and consultant for Microsoft Exchange, not a reseller or retailer. The customer is responsible for purchasing the Microsoft Exchange license.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner/Implementer
Founder, Professional Services Director, Lead Architect at a recruiting/HR firm with 11-50 employees
Can track messages and protects user data
Pros and Cons
- "We've been using Exchange as an email platform. Our clients require multi-country, multi-regional email collaboration with controlled mail flow. The most valuable feature is the capability of message tracking and the protection of user data."
- "I would like to see Microsoft Exchange improve their documentation."
What is our primary use case?
We are a consulting company. We deploy Microsoft Exchange. One of our clients has been working with a file drive endpoint with Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft 365 Exchange. We use the latest version, which is a hybrid platform with Microsoft 365. I also work with departments in the government that use the solution for email purposes.
The maximum number of users that I am working with is approximately 20,000 users at a time.
What is most valuable?
We've been using Exchange as an email platform. Our clients require multi-country, multi-regional email collaboration with controlled mail flow. The most valuable feature is the capability of message tracking and the protection of user data.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see Microsoft Exchange improve its documentation. The legacy version of the solution had very accurate product documentation. Also, they had very good training courses. Recently, as Microsoft has been frequently adding new features, the documentation has not been as detailed. This means that we need to spend more time making use of our own experience to tackle some problems.
New users will need help from technical professionals. There are not many people in the market that have in-depth knowledge of the product. The documentation for Microsoft Exchange is scattered, poorly organized, and often incomplete.
Due to the lack of adequate documentation, users cannot determine the optimal way to operate the system and end up crashing the product. Unfortunately, many of them do not seek help as they are unwilling to pay Microsoft the high cost of professional services.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Exchange for twenty-three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Exchange has been in the market for more than twenty-five years. It is a stable, mature product. Any concerns with stability usually have to do with the fact that the user is not using the product in the correct manner because Microsoft did not teach them how to operate the solution correctly.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
As long as you have a good plan, Microsoft Exchange can scale very well. However, the solution does consume a lot of web resources if deployed on physical hardware or on VMware. For example, I have an organization that has 200 users and Microsoft has eaten up more than 100 gigabytes of memory.
If you use Microsoft Hyper-V, the scalability is good.
How are customer service and support?
It is not unusual that when you implement the solution and you need information, you can not find it, or it is not very detailed. You will then need to engage with the Microsoft support team. You will need to spend a lot of time making use of your own experience to tackle some problems.
Microsoft charges very expensive professional fees for support services. Unfortunately, the quality of support is very low. They are not grooming sufficient people to support the end-users.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Exchange is not complicated. However, if you need to set it up to work in harmony with any other program, you need a very in-depth understanding of the platform.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Licensing costs for Microsoft Exchange have increased, but are still fair. For some users, the cost is high considering the number of functions and features they will use.
What other advice do I have?
The advice I would give to anyone considering this solution would be to use the latest online version. It is the only way to get quality support when you encounter any type of problem.
If you are not going to use all of the functions and features and only require primitive functions, this solution may be too expensive. When you consider the cost in terms of storage when you are leveraging the online version of Microsoft Exchange, it is quite a good investment.
When considering just the product itself, I would rate Microsoft Exchange a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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