We primarily use the solution to send and receive emails.
Information Technology Manager at Factories Corporation of Jamaica
Simple to use, reliable, and expands easily
Pros and Cons
- "The solution can scale well."
- "The flexibility that Microsoft has to offer, especially when it comes to email, is better."
- "In terms of configuring the product, that's definitely an area in which they can make some improvements on."
- "Technical support could be improved. It takes you a while to get through to a technician, especially on the Microsoft side."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
In terms of usability, it’s pretty simple.
It’s stable.
The solution can scale well.
What needs improvement?
In terms of configuration, you definitely have to go way in depth. In terms of configuring the product, that's definitely an area in which they can make some improvements on.
The initial setup is complex.
Technical support could be more responsive.
From an on-premise standpoint, we’d like more security. I would definitely want to see some more security than Office 365 has to offer.
For how long have I used the solution?
I’ve used the solution for a couple of years.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We’re able to do what we need to. In that sense, it’s stable and reliable. We haven’t had issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is quite scalable.
We have about 150 people on the solution currently. Everyone is pretty much using it. Right now, we’re just sticking to the basics. I’m not sure if we have plans to increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support could be improved. It takes you a while to get through to a technician, especially on the Microsoft side. They need to be more responsive.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have utilized G Suite. The flexibility that Microsoft has to offer, especially when it comes to email, is better. Sometimes you need the ability to be able to make certain configurations and policy changes that Google might not offer.
How was the initial setup?
The solution isn’t exactly straightforward. It’s pretty complex. The configuration can be difficult. It takes a while to set up, and you need to have some advanced knowledge in order to implement it correctly.
Based on who you have that is doing the deployment, it could take up to about three days or even maybe up to a week. However, in terms of a deployment plan, we need to analyze in terms of what we do internally and what outcomes we're actually seeking, and put the project plan in place with some timelines.
Internally, you might need one to two people to handle the initial setup. We had two engineers.
What about the implementation team?
We had assistance from a third party.
What was our ROI?
I don’t have any details in terms of ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I don’t have any information about how much the licensing is.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We didn’t really evaluate other options beyond Microsoft and Google.
What other advice do I have?
I’m an end-user and a customer.
We may not be using the most updated version.
I’d advise potential users to ensure that you do your due diligence. If you're using a third-party contractor, just ensure that they're extremely qualified to actually execute the setup for you. Otherwise, you might run into problems.
I’d rate the solution an eight out of ten. It's stable. It works. Unless you probably go and mess with the configuration, then you won't have any problem. For the most part, it works. It does what it says it's going to do.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Founder, Professional Services Director, Lead Architect at Falcon Consulting
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, and 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."
- "Unfortunately, the quality of support is very low."
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.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Exchange
June 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Exchange. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2026.
902,270 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Service improves convenience but needs faster reopening times
What is our primary use case?
Email exchange is part of our operations. As a customer, I use email for communication.
What is most valuable?
Integration is crucial for data storing. Web data is handled effectively, and it's quite convenient.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Exchange is a little bit difficult. The challenge lies in the cloud implementation.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using this system for almost more than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The system is stable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We don't currently use a similar service platform as we developed our own system.
What was our ROI?
When discussing price, we usually inquire about ROI. While Microsoft Exchange is expensive, we see some return on investment.
What other advice do I have?
At this moment, we have not explored additional features. We do not utilize a shared calendar. I focus on scheduling, and we seldom use the shared calendar but share files instead. The system performance is quite satisfactory. I can provide a referral. On a scale of 1-10, I rate Microsoft Exchange a 6.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
ICT Officer at Intelligent Skincareinc Inc.
Has efficient calendar-sharing capability and a knowledgeable technical support team
Pros and Cons
- "It integrates well with other tools."
- "We are not able to use Microsoft Teams due to connection issues. Thus, the product integration with Teams could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We mainly use the solution for our company email communications.
What is most valuable?
The platform is easy to use as it is integrated with Microsoft. We can easily share work files with other employees.
What needs improvement?
We are not able to use Microsoft Teams due to connection issues. Thus, the product integration with Teams could be improved.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have been using Microsoft Exchange for about seven months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The product is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We have 73 Microsoft Exchange users in our organization. It is scalable.
How are customer service and support?
We contacted the technical support team for the migration. They responded immediately to our concerns and were knowledgeable.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used Google Workspace before migrating to Exchange. We switched to Exchange as it was already integrated with Microsoft Office and didn't require paying for a separate license.
How was the initial setup?
The setup was not very complex. It took about one to two weeks to migrate all our end-user accounts.
What other advice do I have?
The platform's calendar-sharing capability is useful. It integrates well with other tools.
I recommend it to others. It has many security features and is integrated with Microsoft Office, making it cost-effective. I rate it a nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Branch Manager at Shakti Foundation
A user-friendly product that is easy to manage and configure
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly product that is easy to manage and configure."
- "Some users encounter stability issues. I connect with the support team through my local partner, which takes time."
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Exchange is a user-friendly product that is easy to manage and configure.
What needs improvement?
Some users encounter stability issues. I connect with the support team through my local partner, which takes time.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the product's stability a seven out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I rate Microsoft Exchange's scalability a nine out of ten. My company has around 4000 users.
How was the initial setup?
The tool's deployment is simple.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the tool a seven 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 CAPMAS
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.
Sr. Software Engineer at উপায় (UCB Fintech Company Limited)
The best feature is single sign-on access
Pros and Cons
- "Exchange's best feature is single sign-on access using the Microsoft Identity framework."
- "The security features could be improved. There should be a better policy management system."
What is our primary use case?
Exchange is an email solution.
What is most valuable?
Exchange's best feature is single sign-on access using the Microsoft Identity framework.
What needs improvement?
The security features could be improved. There should be a better policy management system.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have used Exchange for the last 12 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Exchange is 100% stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Exchange is 100% scalable. More than 100 of my customers use Microsoft Exchange, and some of the larger ones have more than 10,000 users.
How are customer service and support?
We are a service provider, so we provide the first and second tiers of support. If we cannot solve the issue, we escalate to Microsoft premier support. My clients are happy with the Microsoft team.
How was the initial setup?
When I started using Microsoft Exchange, I found it to be complex. It's much easier now that I understand the architecture. Microsoft Exchange can be deployed on-premises, but it is also excellent as a cloud solution.
The deployment time depends on the customer. A greenfield deployment typically takes around two weeks. It might take one or two months if you need to migrate accounts and data.
What other advice do I have?
I rate Microsoft Exchange 10 out of 10. I always recommended customers go with the Microsoft email solution, either on-premises Exchange or Microsoft Office 365. You can also go for the hybrid. I suggest Microsoft 365 or Microsoft Exchange for their collaboration and communication solutions.
Speaker 2:
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Networks Administrator at Saipa
Good speed and very user-friendly observations
Pros and Cons
- "The search tools are good."
- "The solution could be more secure."
What is our primary use case?
Our company uses the solution to manage emails and accounts.
What is most valuable?
The solution's speed is good.
The search tools are good.
Observations are very user friendly.
What needs improvement?
The solution could be more secure.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is easy.
What other advice do I have?
I rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
IT Manager at Cerberus IT Solutions
Works well, offers easy access, and has helpful support
Pros and Cons
- "It is stable."
- "The only thing that could be improved is the pricing."
What is our primary use case?
We primarily use the solution for e-mail. That's pretty much what Exchange is built for, and it's very good at what it's built for.
What is most valuable?
If you want to have an email system that works quite well and that allows you to be able to give easy access to everything from emails to checking calendars, that's basically 365.
It is stable.
It can scale.
Technical support is largely helpful.
What needs improvement?
The only thing that could be improved is the pricing. They could make it more competitive. The price is a lot. That said, the product works, which means you're kind of caught between two realities. You want to pay for something that works. You just don't want to pay too much. If they could get it to be more affordable, then they will have a greater uptake in users. All the people that are using G Suite, the free version, would likely actually move over to 365.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using the solution for over 15 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is a very stable product. There aren't bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable, and the performance is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I'm happy with the scalability.
We have about ten people using the solution in our company; however, our customers that we support number in the thousands.
If we do get additional people, we will increase usage.
How are customer service and support?
I've used Microsoft tech support quite a bit across various applications that they have available. Technical support is not bad. Once or twice you get a unique issue that's going to be difficult until you find someone that knows absolutely everything. However, for the most part, technical support is okay. It could be far worse.
How was the initial setup?
The setups vary in level of difficulty. I've worked with both simple and complex setups.
I'm not sure exactly how long it takes to deploy. The time would depend on the size of the implementation.
What about the implementation team?
I can handle the initial setup myself.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The solution could be less expensive.
We can do monthly payments if we like; however, usually, we do a yearly subscription.
What other advice do I have?
We've used on-premises and cloud deployments. In on-premises, we're likely one version behind. On the cloud, we are using the latest version.
I'd recommend the solution to others. Whenever, for example, I find someone using Google, I move them over to Exchange.
I would rate the product 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.
IT Cordinator at a pharma/biotech company with 10,001+ employees
Provides unlimited storage and the integration with OneDrive comes in very handy
Pros and Cons
- "Provides unlimited storage for our mailbox."
- "Microsoft provides you with an ease of control and management and sets certain expectations from the software that you can't have if you implement other, cheaper solutions that are likely to be more difficult to manage or that are unable to adapt to new demands."
- "The licensing model could be improved."
What is our primary use case?
We use this product for emails and for meetings. I'm the IT coordinator.
What is most valuable?
The biggest advantage of this product is that it provides us with unlimited storage for our mailbox. The availability and simplicity of getting emails is great. There's an accessible online version and you have the full Office package available at any moment beyond Outlook. The integration with OneDrive comes in very handy. The Outlook Exchange server becomes your go-to place for storing conversations and correspondence.
What needs improvement?
The licensing could be better. There are several levels of licensing depending on the number of users and features but it lacks the breakdown of what's included in the license, and the possibility to customize what you really need. There are likely to be features included that you don't need but there's no opt out option for those.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using this solution for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Stability has improved tremendously. These days it requires an extraordinary set of circumstances to not be able to access your emails, to send or receive emails, or to access the Exchange server.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is quite scalable. We have over 1,000 users.
How are customer service and support?
We've contacted technical support several times and they've been responsive. They're pretty good, in general.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. There's really no problem with the setup of the latest Exchange servers and Exchange in general. We deployed in-house and didn't need any external partner to handle it.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft provides you with an ease of control, and management, and sets certain expectations from the software that you can't have if you implement other, cheaper solutions that are likely to be more difficult to manage or that are unable to adapt to new demands. It has a really nice scalable environment. You can start with the smallest Windows license and then just continue scaling up and upgrading, without the need to completely change and start over as your organization grows. The backbone is there on Microsoft.
I like this product and rate it nine out of 10.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2026
Popular Comparisons
Google Workspace
Microsoft Exchange Online
Amazon WorkMail
Zimbra Collaboration
ProtonMail
Open-Xchange
KerioConnect
Zoho Mail
HCL Notes
HCL Verse
OpenText GroupWise
Superhuman
Myriad Unity
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Exchange Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Quick Links
Learn More: Questions:
- How does Zimbra Collaboration compare with Microsoft Exchange?
- When evaluating Email Applications, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?
- What should I look for when choosing an email solution for my company?
- What is the best choice for email?
- Which solution should we choose? - IceWarp, Zentyal, UCS, Collax, Scalix, Zimbra or Kollab?
- Why is Email Applications important for companies?























