Zimbra by Synacor vs. Thunderbird

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Zimbra
Score 6.7 out of 10
N/A
Zimbra 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
Thunderbird
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
Thunderbird is an open-source email management application from MZLA Technologies Corporation, a subsidiary of Mozilla.N/A
Pricing
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
ZimbraThunderbird
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
Features
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
Zimbra by Synacor
9.0
6 Ratings
16% above category average
Thunderbird
-
Ratings
Task Management9.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Gantt Charts8.13 Ratings00 Ratings
Scheduling9.85 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow Automation7.23 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Access9.76 Ratings00 Ratings
Search9.86 Ratings00 Ratings
Visual planning tools8.53 Ratings00 Ratings
Communication
Comparison of Communication features of Product A and Product B
Zimbra by Synacor
6.6
9 Ratings
19% below category average
Thunderbird
-
Ratings
Chat7.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Notifications5.68 Ratings00 Ratings
Discussions2.07 Ratings00 Ratings
Surveys7.72 Ratings00 Ratings
Internal knowledgebase7.73 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with GoToMeeting7.63 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Gmail and Google Hangouts8.04 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Outlook7.53 Ratings00 Ratings
File Sharing & Management
Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Product A and Product B
Zimbra by Synacor
5.8
10 Ratings
31% below category average
Thunderbird
-
Ratings
Versioning5.49 Ratings00 Ratings
Video files2.19 Ratings00 Ratings
Audio files2.19 Ratings00 Ratings
Document collaboration5.49 Ratings00 Ratings
Access control8.75 Ratings00 Ratings
Advanced security features9.76 Ratings00 Ratings
Integrates with Google Drive6.62 Ratings00 Ratings
Device sync6.64 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
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User Ratings
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
Likelihood to Recommend
7.8
(10 ratings)
7.7
(3 ratings)
Usability
7.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
8.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Zimbra by SynacorThunderbird
Likelihood to Recommend
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
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Thunderbird
I like that it's free, I like that it's open-source, and the fact that it allows IMAP lets me have this on all 3 laptops and it's synced. I would never consider using it as my primary email client, however; just too clunky and can't navigate around fast enough the way I do with Gmail. And not even close to having all the features I'd need that Gmail does: 30 second undo-sending, canned responses, easy-to-create signatures for each email address (I literally toggle over to Gmail, compose a message, and paste my sig into the body of Thunderbird emails, so clunky), all spam ends up in my inbox even after I've marked enough as spam that it should know, email labeling and filtering... Gmail is just way more advanced and feature-ful. But, Thunderbird does beat my ridiculous RoundCube webmail interface!
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Pros
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.
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Thunderbird
  • Email receiving
  • Email sending
  • Email composition
  • Ability to add calendar and task plugins
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Cons
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.
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Thunderbird
  • definitely needs a mobile /andriod version
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Usability
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.
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Thunderbird
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
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.
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Thunderbird
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
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.
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Thunderbird
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Return on Investment
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.
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Thunderbird
  • Its FREE and donation based. Can't get better than that.
  • I love that we aren't giving away our privacy to Google.
  • And I especially love that it's a grass-rootsy endeavor.
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ScreenShots

Zimbra Screenshots

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