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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Microsoft Exchange

    Score8.6 out of 10
    N/AMicrosoft Exchange is a secure email / messaging gateway with file archiving and encryption / data loss capability, available as a hosted service (Exchange Online) or installed (Exchange Server).N/A

    Zimbra

    Score6.9 out of 10
    N/AZimbra is an email and collaboration platform and productivity suite that includes contacts, calendar, tasks, chat and file sharing, plus videoconferencing, document editing, and file storage.N/A
    Pricing
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Free Trial
    NoYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    NoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Considered Both Products
    Microsoft
    Chose Microsoft Exchange
    Microsoft Exchange is the DeFacto groupware product. It handles mail and calendar so well that it is mostly unrivaled. While I used Zimbra at a previous employer, we ended up moving to Microsoft Exchange because of better Outlook use and the overall Microsoft Exchange product …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Exchange
    We had a Zimbra on-premise server earlier and were pretty satisfied with it. But when compared with the advanced features of the Microsoft Exchange server, we could easily justify our purchase team to go for this since we already have O365 apps.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Exchange
    We use Zimbra for some specific tasks in our company. Microsoft has superiority over Zimbra in terms of the graphical user interface. I like the Microsoft exchange interface as it is more futuristic. Also, Microsoft exchange has a better user experience. Zimbra mail can be …
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Exchange
    It gives the impression of being a more professional and more robust tool. Despite the large amount of data, it always manages them at its best, without performance problems.
    Incentivized
    Chose Microsoft Exchange
    We are 100% a Microsoft shop from top to bottom, so for us, Exchange is the best in the business. It wouldn't make sense to integrate another vendor.
    Incentivized
    Synacor
    Chose Zimbra
    Zimbra is a significantly cheaper option than one of the Microsoft solutions, such as Exchange. It is able to run in a free environment, as it is in the case of Linux. It offers the advantages of a powerful mail manager, such as indexed searches and the integration of contacts …
    Incentivized
    Chose Zimbra
    We selected Zimbra because it has a lower cost in the market, offers more development features for its open source, has a very easy to use interface and adjusts to the needs of the company.
    Incentivized
    Chose Zimbra
    Zimbra provides a robust and reliable software that delivers what is promised. We have tested Zimbra in a pilot project before deploying it in production. Incidents and crashes are rare and you have tools to recover it if necessary. Initially we had a contract with support to …
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    94%
    Would buy again
    65 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Delivers good value for the price
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    63 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    99%
    Happy with the feature set
    68 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    100%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    46 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    52 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Secure Email Gateway
    Comparison of Secure Email Gateway features of Microsoft Exchange and Zimbra by Synacor
    Feature
    Microsoft Exchange
    7.3
    84 Ratings
    14% below category average
    Zimbra by Synacor
    -
    Ratings
    Anti-malware6.567 Ratings00 Ratings
    Customizability8.079 Ratings00 Ratings
    Data Loss Protection8.368 Ratings00 Ratings
    Threat Detection6.566 Ratings00 Ratings
    Sandboxing7.444 Ratings00 Ratings
    End-to-End Encryption6.767 Ratings00 Ratings
    Management Tools8.080 Ratings00 Ratings
    Project Management
    Comparison of Project Management features of Microsoft Exchange and Zimbra by Synacor
    Feature
    Microsoft Exchange
    -
    Ratings
    Zimbra by Synacor
    9.0
    6 Ratings
    15% above category average
    Task Management00 Ratings9.86 Ratings
    Gantt Charts00 Ratings8.13 Ratings
    Scheduling00 Ratings9.85 Ratings
    Workflow Automation00 Ratings7.23 Ratings
    Mobile Access00 Ratings9.76 Ratings
    Search00 Ratings9.86 Ratings
    Visual planning tools00 Ratings8.53 Ratings
    Communication
    Comparison of Communication features of Microsoft Exchange and Zimbra by Synacor
    Feature
    Microsoft Exchange
    -
    Ratings
    Zimbra by Synacor
    6.6
    9 Ratings
    19% below category average
    Chat00 Ratings7.07 Ratings
    Notifications00 Ratings5.18 Ratings
    Discussions00 Ratings2.07 Ratings
    Surveys00 Ratings7.72 Ratings
    Internal knowledgebase00 Ratings7.73 Ratings
    Integrates with GoToMeeting00 Ratings7.63 Ratings
    Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts00 Ratings8.04 Ratings
    Integrates with Outlook00 Ratings7.53 Ratings
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Microsoft Exchange and Zimbra by Synacor
    Feature
    Microsoft Exchange
    -
    Ratings
    Zimbra by Synacor
    5.5
    10 Ratings
    38% below category average
    Versioning00 Ratings5.19 Ratings
    Video files00 Ratings1.29 Ratings
    Audio files00 Ratings1.29 Ratings
    Document collaboration00 Ratings5.19 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings8.75 Ratings
    Advanced security features00 Ratings9.76 Ratings
    Integrates with Google Drive00 Ratings6.62 Ratings
    Device sync00 Ratings6.64 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Small Businesses
    Sophos Email
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Flock
    Score9.5 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Sophos Email
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Troop Messenger
    Score9.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    OpenText Core Email Threat Protection
    Score7.5 out of 10
    Cisco Business Edition 7000 (discontinued)
    Score9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.0
    (102 ratings)
    8.0
    (10 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    10.0
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (6 ratings)
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.9
    (12 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    8.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Microsoft ExchangeZimbra
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Microsoft
    Creating and receiving emails is simple. Managing contacts is a nice feature, especially connecting to Active Directory. Calendar management is also helpful and sharing access to others' calendars for scheduling meetings is useful. And reserving resources such as rooms or equipment is also useful. Personal and shared mailboxes are good features, as well. Tasks are a little lacking, but other than that, the features are thorough.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    Zimbra is great for an email system for a medium or large organization with appropriate IT staffing. The system is easy to use for end-users, and has a fantastic web interface. Unfortunately, it is overly complex, when considering staffing requirements and price, when compared with Office 365 or Google Apps for smaller organizations. For other education customers, it is hard to compete with Microsoft and Google providing their services for "Free" now though
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Microsoft
    • As we have a large user base of 11,000 users we use MailTips to avoid people getting confused with people with similar names in the organization.
    • The integration between Teams Meeting and Resource booking is generally very good. The Scheduling Assistance makes it easy to scan calendars and find free periods to provisionally scheduled events.
    • Marking yourself as Out of the Office and busy is easy, as is sharing your calendar within the team/organization or individuals.
    • Voicemail integration and the ability to receive missed chats in your inbox are highly used and useful.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    • Filter emails with specific information required.
    • Very good storage capacity.
    • Has a mobile version and another web.
    • It has a friendly and modern graphic interface.
    • It is compatible with all operating systems.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Microsoft
    • The two main factors for the better reliability & Uptime of internally hosted Exchange Server depends on Exchange Server configuration and the level of investment the organization is willing to provide for hosting the Exchange Server On-Premise Environment. As the data is stored in the organization’s hardware, any disaster may lead to the loss of email and servers.
    • Losing data might affect business continuity and rebuilding it can be costly.
    • Security remains a major concern.
    • Security of data loss is main concern. To ensure that, organization needs to configure networks, systems and Exchange platform against possible threats.
    • Hardware and license costs are high.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    • Zimbra's mobile application leaves much to be desired; it is its weakest point.
    • This forces the use of third-party applications on smartphones, which only offer a more or less complete integration with the ActiveSync protocol.
    • Zimbra allows for an on-premise scenario, which is not for everyone, especially considering that the trend nowadays is to outsource email; in any case, it also offers this alternative.
    • The cost of Zimbra as a SaaS solution comes too close to that of more widely adopted competing options.
    • Zimbra lacks a robust integrated chat system, which its competitors offer.
    • It lacks AI integration.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Microsoft
    Email and calendars in a business setting are requirements. And Microsoft continues to be the standard of business applications. Microsoft 365 makes Microsoft Exchange easy to use. Everything is in the cloud. Let Microsoft take care of the hardware, the software, and the security. You just enable your business users with the functionality they need.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    No answers on this topic
    Usability
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Exchange has come a long way over the years and has nowhere near the technical overhead required for support as it did back in 2003/2007 and prior. The integrations with Teams, Defender, Sharepoint, Copilot and many other products make it a solid and well-rounded tool used for many day-to-day tasks.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    The web usability of the solution is adequate, with all functions integrated into a single interface. However, it is important to note that in the desktop environment, it lacks its own application and relies on ActiveSync synchronization with reference solutions like Outlook or Thunderbird. Some features, such as the briefcase, will be excluded. The same happens on smartphones.It is also common for competing solutions to include integrated chat or video call tools, which Zimbra lacks. These shortcomings are among the most frequently requested by users.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Microsoft
    Exchange is setup with multiple servers behind load balancers to provide high availability.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Microsoft
    I would say it's the best email product I've experienced.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Microsoft
    We have a good enterprise agreement with Microsoft which affords us quick phone support. I have found the support staff knowledgeable and prompt with a solution when required. At times it may be difficult to schedule a call back, this is mainly due to our need for calls early in the morning which happens to be during a shift change at Microsoft support.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Microsoft
    Implementation/conversion can be quite complex and, unless you have certified Exchange administrators in-house, you should strongly consider a 3rd party consultant for this implementation.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    Overall, we were satisfied with the implementation. We perhaps should have spent more time consulting with Zimbra or others regarding best practices but as we got to know the system better we were able to make changes relatively easily after the fact.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Microsoft
    Microsoft Exchange Product The best cloud-based enterprise-grade archiving platform with a host of features that enable files to be securely archived and retrieved with advanced search options. This tool is very easy to use and has a User-friendly interface. It is a highly reliable platform that allows all employees to automatically store their data without any limitations. It offers a cost-effective solution with customized policy management. We are happy that the customer support team is always fast and concerned, and the product's uninterrupted service experience. It is very good that it stores data in real-time without losing it, even in the event of a disaster. The cost-effective solution and integration with other tools are seamless.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    Zimbra is a significantly cheaper option than one of the Microsoft solutions, such as Exchange. It is able to run in a free environment, as it is in the case of Linux. It offers the advantages of a powerful mail manager, such as indexed searches and the integration of contacts and notes, all in one platform. It is constantly updated and the operation of its connection in mobile equipment is remarkable and very efficient. Additionally, it is able to easily integrate with Outlook solutions with its connector, which brings all the benefits of Zimbra to the user under the interface known as "mail manager." So far, I have been using Zimbra for several years and I have not missed my previous work platforms.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Microsoft
    The only time Exchange has failed us is when we did something to cause the failure.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Microsoft
    • It has been an important factor in allowing seamless communication with clients and scheduling business meetings, which in turn works in the company's favor.
    • Haven't noticed any negative impact Exchange has had on our ROI. The support team is also responsive and helpful.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Synacor
    • Zimbra is a cheaper email service than other similar platforms and in my point of view offers better features, that's why the company migrated services to this platform several years ago and without a doubt, it has been the best investment.
    • Zimbra has a more user-friendly interface for employees, this has improved response times to external customers of the company.
    • The implementation of Zimbra in the company motivated the IT engineering department to make improvements in open source to adapt it to the needs of the company.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Zimbra Screenshots

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