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HCL Notes vs Zoho Mail comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on May 21, 2025

Review summaries and opinions

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

ROI

Sentiment score
6.5
HCL Notes delivers long-term ROI through secure communications, user satisfaction, efficiency, and cost-effective annual fees per user.
Sentiment score
5.2
Zoho Mail delivers strong ROI with cost-effective app access, reducing operational costs and enhancing conversions through CRM integration.
 

Customer Service

Sentiment score
6.8
HCL Notes support is highly praised for knowledgeable, responsive service, with improved satisfaction since transitioning from IBM.
Sentiment score
5.1
Zoho Mail's customer support receives mixed reviews, with praise for responsiveness but criticism for inconsistency and delayed assistance.
Once Notes is running, it performs reliably without issues.
When downloading Zoho Mail CRM, an assistant connects with you for any support needed, providing an end-to-end process that strengthens customer experience.
Sometimes I get stuck on API integrations and other issues, and they guide me and take additional sessions to resolve the problems.
Sometimes Zoho Mail has fast response times, while at other times they don't.
 

Scalability Issues

Sentiment score
7.0
HCL Notes efficiently scales for small to large user groups, integrates well with mobile platforms, but demands adequate computing power.
Sentiment score
6.5
Zoho Mail is scalable and efficient, ideal for managing large user numbers, with ongoing improvements enhancing its reliability.
Initially, it wasn't very effective, but over time it has improved and become a preferred choice for employers using CRM.
 

Stability Issues

Sentiment score
6.9
HCL Notes is stable and reliable, with issues usually due to external factors or outdated systems, not the software itself.
Sentiment score
7.6
Zoho Mail is praised for its stability, reliability, and minimal issues, despite occasional login delays due to security.
 

Room For Improvement

HCL Notes needs a modernized interface, better usability, and improved integration to remain competitive with current email services.
Zoho Mail needs improved meeting tools, storage, interface, integration, stability, and support while upcoming AI features show promise.
It could be modernized by the development team.
Considering how WhatsApp backup automatically goes to Google by default, Zoho Mail could develop similar functionality.
We currently only have the ability to add users to groups, but some admins need to organize users in organizational units and apply security policies or other configurations based on these units.
I would like to see the functionality where a client or recipient can indicate their willingness to give feedback on the emails sent to them, as it could enhance the intelligence behind the response management.
 

Setup Cost

HCL Notes offers competitive pricing with flexible licensing and affordability, compared to competitors like Microsoft and Google.
Zoho Mail offers cost-effective enterprise pricing, appealing over competitors like Microsoft and Google, especially in regions like Nigeria and Egypt.
Zoho Mail is economical compared to Microsoft and Google Workspace.
I find the pricing to be reasonable but recognize it can vary based on corporate economic conditions.
 

Valuable Features

HCL Notes provides secure, flexible groupware solutions with application development, migration, and seamless document integration at an affordable cost.
Zoho Mail offers user-friendly, secure email with app integration, perfect for small businesses needing efficient, scalable communication.
The interconnectivity between these applications makes it particularly useful.
The main benefits that Zoho Mail brings include the ability to send large and secure mails.
It fits small and medium businesses who don't want many features and prefer a reasonable price.
 

Categories and Ranking

HCL Notes
Ranking in Email Applications
8th
Average Rating
7.6
Reviews Sentiment
6.8
Number of Reviews
19
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
Zoho Mail
Ranking in Email Applications
6th
Average Rating
7.8
Reviews Sentiment
6.3
Number of Reviews
16
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of October 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of HCL Notes is 3.4%, up from 3.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zoho Mail is 5.5%, up from 3.5% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Market Share Distribution
ProductMarket Share (%)
Zoho Mail5.5%
HCL Notes3.4%
Other91.1%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

Herad Howell - PeerSpot reviewer
Secure communications that prompts responses with room for improved user interface
I primarily value HCL Notes for its security features. The software's secure communication is particularly useful when dealing with professional entities. It ensures that business is conducted smoothly, allowing me to use my organization's email confidently, as opposed to my personal Gmail, which might not prompt responses from some entities.
Antony Munyao Benjamin - PeerSpot reviewer
Has required technical improvements to better support advanced email feedback and user behavior tracking
Using Zoho Mail is quite easy. Users are able to track if the recipient has received, opened, or clicked on the email, thanks to a very good tracking system, and they can create large campaigns using the unlimited features of the email. The integration with Zoho Projects is a bit technical, as it's part of the CRM with specific routine tasks for projects. Efficiency-wise, it has been great in bringing teams closer together so that every project member can critique the progress of assignments. However, there is a need for improvement in communication style from one module to another. The main benefits that Zoho Mail brings include the ability to send large and secure mails. It integrates with Google clients, ensuring a high level of security and reduced spam. I have utilized it effectively, and clients trust emails from Zoho Mail because of its reputation as a reliable CRM software company.
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Use our free recommendation engine to learn which Email Applications solutions are best for your needs.
871,408 professionals have used our research since 2012.
 

Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Government
16%
Computer Software Company
12%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Financial Services Firm
7%
Computer Software Company
18%
Comms Service Provider
16%
Retailer
10%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise8
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise3
 

Questions from the Community

What needs improvement with HCL Notes?
Regarding additional functions, the front end of the databases on the home screen looks somewhat old-fashioned. It could be modernized by the development team.
What is your primary use case for HCL Notes?
Our use case for HCL Notes is that we use it for critical production databases and a lot of administration databases. We use it for email and calendars extensively.
What advice do you have for others considering HCL Notes?
We actively work with HCL Notes and have integrated it with other applications as it is installed on Windows. We use HCL Notes and Domino, along with HCL Connections and HCL BigFix. Regarding custo...
What do you like most about Zoho Mail?
It also offers the search functionalities. For end users, the search is quite easy to use. There are a few tabs to select to find exactly what you're looking for. It's pretty simple. As long as the...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zoho Mail?
Zoho Mail is economical compared to Microsoft and Google Workspace. Speaking specifically about Egypt and the region, they have competitive pricing compared to others.
What needs improvement with Zoho Mail?
They could increase the available space which is currently 5 GB. Gmail provides 15 GB of storage space, which would be more useful. Additionally, considering how WhatsApp backup automatically goes ...
 

Comparisons

 

Also Known As

IBM Lotus Notes, Lotus Notes
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Connect2Cloud, Hansgrohe, Sauk County, Blue Water Shipping, FDBR, ibml, Multivac, Aarhus University Hospital, Hendricks Regional Health, Asian Paints, Integra Legal, Sunplus Technology, S¾SS, The Moroccan Ministry of Youth and Sports, Nicrometal, Doncasters Group, Practice Plan, Barr, RACV, Neotechnik, Deutsche Notes User Group
BBDO, HuffPost
Find out what your peers are saying about HCL Notes vs. Zoho Mail and other solutions. Updated: September 2025.
871,408 professionals have used our research since 2012.