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System and Network Engineer at ADEX TECHNOLOGY
Real User
Apr 17, 2021
Great dashboard, a modern user interface, and excellent scalability
Pros and Cons
  • "The stability is good and keeps getting better with each new update."
  • "The pricing of the solution is excellent; it's a newer solution with a modern interface and dashboard, the interface itself is very responsive and easy to navigate, the initial setup is very simple and straightforward, the stability is good and keeps getting better with each new update, and the solution really does scale very easily."
  • "The solution could use more integration with third-party tools."
  • "The log files need to be improved; they need to show us more information because a lot of detail is lacking and that's not very helpful or insightful."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily install Zimbra Collaborations for the many customers that we have. It's primarily used for networking and collaboration.

What is most valuable?

The pricing of the solution is excellent.

It's a newer solution with a modern interface and dashboard.

The interface itself is very responsive and easy to navigate.

The initial setup is very simple and straightforward.

The stability is good and keeps getting better with each new update. 

The pricing of the product is excellent. 

The solution really does scale very easily. 

Technical support is quite helpful.

What needs improvement?

We are simply a customer and an end-user. We don't have a business relationship with the organization.

The log files need to be improved. It needs to show us more information. Right now, a lot of detail is lacking and that's not very helpful or insightful.

The solution could use more integration with third-party tools. That would be very useful.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with the solution for two years at this point. It hasn't been too long.

Buyer's Guide
Zimbra Collaboration
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Zimbra Collaboration. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is quite stable. In fact, its stability continues to grow with updates. It doesn't crash and freeze. there are no bugs or glitches. It's reliable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Zimbra is very, very scalable. We can start small and go from 20 accounts to very high numbers of additional accounts. It's quite easy to do. If a company needs to scale, it can do so very quickly.

How are customer service and support?

I've been in contact with technical support in the past and I find that they are quite good. They are helpful and responsive. they are knowledgeable about the product and they are helpful when we have queries. We are satisfied with their level of attention.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is quite straightforward and very simple. It's not overly complex or difficult. It shouldn't prove to be too much of a challenge.

What about the implementation team?

We install the solution for our customers.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution is very low cost. It's an open-source solution. It's not an expensive option.

What other advice do I have?

I'd recommend the solution to other organizations due to the fact that the solution very low-cost and it's an open-source option - which is very attractive to many companies. We installed it in a Linux system so that we can get more security on our platform. 

I'd rate the solution at an eight out of ten. We are quite satisfied with the capabilities of the product.

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
PeerSpot user
reviewer1453407 - PeerSpot reviewer
Technical Developer at a media company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jan 14, 2021
Web interface powerful, easy to use, and stable
Pros and Cons
  • "The web interface is powerful and easy to use."
  • "The support was lacking in my experience. However, recently the support I received was good. Perhaps they have improved."
  • "The support was lacking in my experience."

What is our primary use case?

We are using the solution for inhouse emails.

What is most valuable?

The web interface is powerful and easy to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for a couple of years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

From what I have heard the solution is scalable. I have not had an experience with scaling it but I am aware of some very large companies that use it.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support was lacking in my experience. However, recently the support I received was good. Perhaps they have improved. 

With the networking edition of the solution you receive 
the full support options.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported.

What other advice do I have?

My advice is to try and make sure that the target environment is suited for the web interface because that is where most of its features are found.

I rate Zimbra Collaboration a nine out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Zimbra Collaboration
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Zimbra Collaboration. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
900,644 professionals have used our research since 2012.
PeerSpot user
CEO at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Mar 4, 2018
We can control all the data in my IT infrastructure
Pros and Cons
  • "We can control all the data in my IT infrastructure."
  • "It is the best open source collaboration suite that I know, because it provides high availability and more performance than the other solutions."
  • "File sharing permissions with Nextcloud integration need improvement."

What is our primary use case?

I work mainly with webmail. On the web, we have more than 10,000 accounts on our server

How has it helped my organization?

It is the best open source collaboration suite that I know, because it provides high availability and more performance than the other solutions.

We can control all the data in my IT infrastructure.

What is most valuable?

  • Shared folders
  • Mobile synchronization
  • Admin tools
  • Anti-spam tools
  • Webmail is simple and powerful.

What needs improvement?

  • Online documents edition
  • File sharing permissions with Nextcloud integration
  • More features for the open source edition
  • Native HA for more virtualization platforms, like Proxmox

For how long have I used the solution?

More than five years.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. We are Zimbra VAR Partners and Zimbra developers.
PeerSpot user
it_user535362 - PeerSpot reviewer
IT Technician & Senior System Administrator at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Nov 27, 2016
I can manage all accounts from the console. Premium features don't break when you perform OS updates.
Pros and Cons
  • "Premium features, such as auto discovery and archiving, mobile management and HSM, make life much easier."
  • "We had a couple of issues with stability, but nothing that I couldn't work around or fix myself. Zimbra is a powerful product, but since VMware bought it, changes and bug fixes have been very slow in coming."

What is most valuable?

I like that I can easily manage all accounts from the management console. This allows real time control of each account. With the CLI, I can also control and manage all server functions or any mailbox, for free.

Premium features, such as auto discovery and archiving, mobile management and HSM, make life much easier. Once implemented, they don't break when you perform OS updates.

How has it helped my organization?

When my clients moved from POP3 to IMAP and ActiveSync, they were able to port the complete mailbox. Additionally, Zimbra allows them to centrally manage and store all their emails.

What needs improvement?

The following areas could be improved:

  • Backup
  • Autodiscover
  • Antispam
  • Mobile

I think being able to purchase individual packages would be better than having all the features included in one big package.

For how long have I used the solution?

I’ve been using Zimbra for more than 4 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We had a couple of issues with stability, but nothing that I couldn't work around or fix myself. Zimbra is a powerful product, but since VMware bought it, changes and bug fixes have been very slow in coming.

How are customer service and technical support?

The main format for technical support is forum-based with tickets. This is not appropriate for big enterprises.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Microsoft Exchange and PostFix. The main reason for switching to a Zimbra deployment is the cost in time.

How was the initial setup?

The first time I performed a setup it was harder than expected. I only had basic Linux skills and Zimbra installation wasn't as straightforward as it is now.

As I mentioned before regarding free products, we expect the end user to figure out how to make it work. When we pay, then we can complain.

What other advice do I have?

I recommend Zimbra for small and medium-sized businesses. Even larger enterprises could benefit from it. If they have a good system administrator and are willing to learn, they could reduce costs and improve performance, while increasing productivity as well.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
System Administrator at a media company with 51-200 employees
Vendor
Nov 24, 2016
Easy to manage. The calendar is a useful organizational tool.
Pros and Cons
  • "Most valuable to us is the fact that it's open source, so it's possible to do a lot of customization."
  • "There are some bugs we found that could be fixed."

What is most valuable?

Most valuable to us is the fact that it's open source, so it's possible to do a lot of customization. Zimbrais easy to manage.

How has it helped my organization?

The calendar is a quite useful organizational tool. We also created a lot of accounts for special needs, since we can have as many as we want.

What needs improvement?

There are some bugs we found that could be fixed. Also, there was a chat tool which was really useful, but was discontinued.

For how long have I used the solution?

We’ve used Zimbra for 4 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

We did not encounter any issues with stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Regarding scalability, from a user point-of-view, gmail is more convenient with all the other tools, such as Google Docs, Google Drive, etc.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We did not use any other solutions.

How was the initial setup?

To complete the initial setup, you need to adjust the spam filter, setup DKIM, etc. Also, it’s Linux-based, so you need to be familiar with that environment.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The free version is good enough for a small to medium size company.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We evaluated Gmail before going with Zimbra.

What other advice do I have?

If you don’t have a technical person to manage the project, you may want to use a different solution.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
PeerSpot user
Lecturer at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Consultant
Nov 22, 2016
In the Mail tab, I can scan and open messages simultaneously.
Pros and Cons
  • "Despite sticking with Gmail for over a decade in terms of business, Zimbra have impressed me with some other aspects as well; if the time comes, I would prefer Zimbra to my current solution."
  • "Server deployment and the GUI for emails should be better."

What is most valuable?

Email in Zimbra:

The email application allows users to activate the Zimlets "request read receipt". For me, it's a brand new and useful support for email services, which I have not yet experienced elsewhere.

Besides, the interface is very convenient for busy people while scanning the incoming messages/emails and at the same time opening them (3 specific columns/areas of the main "Mail" tab).

Despite sticking with Gmail for over a decade in terms of business, Zimbra have impressed me with some other aspects as well... If the time comes, I would prefer Zimbra to my current solution.

Zimbra mail reminds me of Hotmail, which I did employ in the past. And comparing it to other email free services like Yahoo, Gmail, etc., Zimbra is still on the way to getting in touch with a wider audience, such as: employers, employees, educators, officers, etc., because it has been a symbol of the open-source community and such a powerful resource for students and educators to explore further, as well as to contribute. 

Calendar, tasks in Zimbra:

Different than other applications I have been using for these functions, namely: calendar, tasks, document, etc. Zimbra simply saves time, as these are attached to the main interface by a tab instead of a link to a different page. So, it's recommended for businessmen, especially.

What needs improvement?

Server deployment and the GUI for emails should be better.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have used it for a few months.

What other advice do I have?

From the server side: the installation/deployment should be more user-friendly.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1128 - PeerSpot reviewer
Infrastructure Expert at a tech company with 51-200 employees
Real User
Jul 14, 2012
Complete end user communication solution by VMware zimbra collaboration suite.
Pros and Cons
  • "VMware Zimbra is an enterprise-class E-mail, calendar, and collaboration solution, built for both public and private clouds."
  • "There can be difficulties resolving problems on the server side when problems arise."

Valuable Features:

The Zimbra Collaboration Server has many pros that are useful in a business. It has a centralized web based interface for managing the server console. A user can easily use it as a web based & app base on their desktop, laptop, i-phone and smart phone. An inside user console user can send mail, chat, video call, and voice call with other people. You are able to create a centralized address book on a server so that anyone can import and export contacts on their account. Sync facilities make it easier for all your device data updates. Additionally, you can set your G-mail, yahoo, and Hotmail accounts to import their addresses as well. Anti-spam, antivirus, and directory services can integrate with the server. Like LDAP, and Active Directory… you can design polices with the help of a class of service (CoS) for end user features like quota and storage. The search over internet facility is also included with the latest version of Zimbra.

Room for Improvement:

There can be difficulties resolving problems on the server side when problems arise. Before installation, you have to resolve all dependencies, otherwise it is very difficult to setup the server.

Other Advice:

VMware Zimbra is an enterprise-class E-mail, calendar, and collaboration solution, built for the both public and private clouds. With a redesigned browser-based interface, Zimbra offers the most innovative messaging experience available today, connecting end users to the information and activity in their personal clouds.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user2652 - PeerSpot reviewer
it_user2652Project Manager at a non-tech company with 10,001+ employees
Top 20Real User

Could you please guide me whether Zimbra is open source or do we need to purchase its license from VMWare?

See all 2 comments
reviewer1681530 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manager Infrastructure at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
MSP
Oct 4, 2021
Integrates well, informative documentation, but configuration could be easier
Pros and Cons
  • "Zimbra Collaboration has integrated a lot of their party tools and they have good documentation available."
  • "The solution could improve by making it easier to use."

What is our primary use case?

Zimbra Collaboration can be used as an email server.

What is most valuable?

Zimbra Collaboration has integrated a lot of their party tools and they have good documentation available.

What needs improvement?

The solution could improve by making it easier to use.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Zimbra Collaboration for approximately six 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. However, all the mailbox details are stored in MySQL or MongoDB. If it is an enterprise-level configuration, then we need to plan for the high availability. This is another challenge in Zimbra. If those things were fixed, then it will be really a good solution.

How are customer service and support?

Zimbra Collaboration has online support communities that are very good at providing detailed information.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have used Microsoft Exchange.

How was the initial setup?

The installation is not difficult. However, initially, management will be difficult but once you have used it for a while you will not find any challenges.

What other advice do I have?

I rate  Zimbra Collaborationseven out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zimbra Collaboration Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2026
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Buyer's Guide
Download our free Zimbra Collaboration Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.