Try our new research platform with insights from 80,000+ expert users

HCL Domino vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Domino
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.7
Number of Reviews
22
Ranking in other categories
Rapid Application Development Software (17th)
Zimbra Collaboration
Average Rating
8.0
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
28
Ranking in other categories
Email Applications (6th)
 

Mindshare comparison

HCL Domino and Zimbra Collaboration aren’t in the same category and serve different purposes. HCL Domino is designed for Rapid Application Development Software and holds a mindshare of 0.9%, up 0.5% compared to last year.
Zimbra Collaboration, on the other hand, focuses on Email Applications, holds 7.1% mindshare, down 9.2% since last year.
Rapid Application Development Software Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
HCL Domino0.9%
Microsoft Power Apps9.9%
ServiceNow7.2%
Other82.0%
Rapid Application Development Software
Email Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Zimbra Collaboration7.1%
Google Workspace16.0%
Microsoft Exchange Online11.1%
Other65.8%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

PB
Architect at a tech consulting company with 501-1,000 employees
Experience complete control and security in managing sensitive information and internal applications
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possible takes time and effort, as understanding the full range of functionalities requires a mindset shift to leverage the platform's capabilities effectively. I believe HCL Domino is on a good improvement path, although a limitation is the lack of many service providers offering the platform, making initial setup more time-consuming for organizations without the expertise. If there were more subscription-based service providers available, it could enhance usability significantly, especially for organizations lacking the resources to install and configure systems.
Muhammad Talha Baig - PeerSpot reviewer
Business Analyst and Associate Project Manager at SAMI Pharmaceuticals
One of the premium features was customized rooms tailored to the collaboration needs
Zimbra's strength lies in its individuality, and it should focus on leveraging its unique features rather than trying to emulate competitors. My organization has certified Zimbra technicians, so we believe we can utilize Zimbra certification. However, I was recently informed by Zimbra that no such certification exists. I have recently completed the test kit, and after the training, I will gain access to tickets. Therefore, if any clients are experiencing issues, we have a certified technical team available to provide support 24/7. This is how we can cater to our client's needs. I recommend Zimbra to small-scale and enterprise customers. Anyone, even those with 5 users, can opt for Zimbra. Overall, I rate the solution a nine out of ten.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"The most valuable feature of HCL Domino is how robust it is."
"The most important benefit is security. The security architecture is very good. It's the best part of the solution."
"HCL Domino is an application development and collaboration platform with strong stability and security. Deployment of this platform is easy and takes only 10 minutes."
"The DAOS feature is the most valuable. It helps to save some of my storage."
"HCL Domino is the best product from a security point of view."
"The email system is the most valuable feature."
"It serves as a centralized solution that fulfills all my requirements from operating my email server to managing various aspects of my operations."
"For workflow applications or general applications, the rapid development capability is what we value most."
"Network NG Modules are valuable to us."
"The stability is good and keeps getting better with each new update."
"The configuration is simple."
"A lot of other products like Microsoft Exchange offer email or collaboration features, but they are not as fast as Zimbra."
"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."
"One of the most valuable features involves the solution's automatic backup, which I find to be pretty simple and straightforward, and obviates the need for additional software."
"The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost."
"The backup and storage management features of Zimbra Collaboration are valuable."
 

Cons

"From the Domino side, it should support DKIM and DMARC."
"HCL Domino could improve by having integration with other solutions, such as Microsoft 365."
"Designing a new template could provide a refreshed visual experience for users without significant changes to the underlying functionality."
"They should provide its integration with other AI applications."
"The speed of the Notes client is an area that could be improved."
"HCL Domino needs to be more user-friendly."
"Many people are not very happy with its speed."
"When you compare with Microsoft Exchange, the UI could be more user-friendly."
"In the next release, Zimbra Collaboration should include a security feature to allow access for mobile device administrators."
"Zimbra Collaboration's video conferencing could be improved."
"It does have a few bugs."
"The solution’s forums don't have much information or documentation on administration tasks."
"We have had an issue with security."
"I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added."
"The tool should improve its multi-cloud feature."
"Zimbra must improve its solution to make it easy so that the users don't have to use webmail to connect to their accounts and log in to webmail every time. This is something that is lacking in Zimbra Collaboration. They should provide a better way to easily connect email applications on the desktop to the Zimbra server. They should also try to have more functionality for storage management, like Microsoft Exchange. Currently, the management of the email data must be done manually in Zimbra Collaboration, which we are finding very difficult. They should provide a way to save emails so that you can have more space on the server and storage. Because of the lack of this functionality, we are planning to migrate to Microsoft Exchange. Microsoft Exchange provides a better way to manage storage than Zimbra Collaboration. You cannot have a mail solution without storage management because emails will always increase. Zimbra Collaboration also needs tools for management. More back-office tools are required to manage the whole mailbox and space. You don't only manage emails but also the documents attached to the emails. Therefore, you require tools to select and decide what do you want to save or how do you want to free up space in your infrastructure."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"My company's customers need to make monthly or yearly payments towards the license charges of the product."
"HCL Domino is costly, but it still depends on how your organization views it price-wise."
"While I don't have precise pricing information at hand, my understanding is that it tends to be on the higher end."
"We're happy with the price of our license — it's pretty standard."
"We pay annually for the use of this solution and it is only a standard fee."
"For 30 licenses, we pay $1,500 every year. It is not an expensive product."
"We chose to pay for our licensing fees annually."
"The license for Domino is yearly. The price is high."
"The solution is not expensive compared to other products."
"We do not pay for licenses to use this solution."
"The solution is competitively priced."
"I use Zimbra Collaboration's community version. We may move to the enterprise version since prices are affordable."
"When it comes to the licensing of Zimbra Collaboration, my license covers the servers and I find its terms to be much simpler than those of Microsoft Exchange."
"Zimbra Collaboration is less expensive than Microsoft Exchange. Zimbra works for small companies because it is not expensive. Zimbra Collaboration has more security tools than Microsoft Exchange. If you are choosing between Zimbra Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange, you have to take into account the cost of security tools with Microsoft Exchange. When you purchase Microsoft Exchange, you will also have to purchase tools for security, which adds to the cost. The migration from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution is very simple and easy. Migration from Microsoft Exchange to another email solution is very difficult. Microsoft doesn't allow migration that easily. In fact, you have to pay for tools to do that. You have to buy some expensive tools to migrate."
"If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported."
"Zimbra Collaboration offers a good price-to-feature ratio."
report
Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Rapid Application Development Software solutions are best for your needs.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
11%
Computer Software Company
10%
Manufacturing Company
10%
Construction Company
7%
Computer Software Company
12%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Government
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business16
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business19
Midsize Enterprise3
Large Enterprise7
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about HCL Domino?
The most valuable features of the solution are security and integration.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for HCL Domino?
The Notes client is very expensive, costing around $105 per client. Overall, HCL Domino is a costly product.
What needs improvement with HCL Domino?
One challenge I faced with HCL Domino was fully understanding its capabilities because initial use may lead to misconceptions based on simpler platforms. Exploring and comprehending what is possibl...
How does Zimbra Collaboration compare with Microsoft Exchange?
Zimbra is a free, open source collaborative software suite. The features I like best are the ease of integration and the email, calendar, and collaboration server with web interface. In addition, I...
What do you like most about Zimbra Collaboration?
The most valuable feature of Zimbra for our team's productivity is its efficiency in handling email communication.
 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Domino, Lotus Domino
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

A1 Telekom, Acubiz, Afrisam, E. A. Juffali & Brothers, Fiducia & GAD, and Pakistan State Oil
NEC Biglobe, City of Ventura, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hola Publishing, BIG, Sleepwell, LaFayette College, Xmission, DNA, Ring Line, Future Group, TIGC
Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft, ServiceNow, Oracle and others in Rapid Application Development Software. Updated: January 2026.
881,082 professionals have used our research since 2012.