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KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange Online 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:
 

Categories and Ranking

KerioConnect
Ranking in Email Applications
9th
Average Rating
7.2
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
11
Ranking in other categories
Email Archiving (7th)
Microsoft Exchange Online
Ranking in Email Applications
3rd
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.2
Number of Reviews
92
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Mindshare comparison

As of May 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of KerioConnect is 4.0%, down from 4.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 9.3%, down from 14.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online9.3%
KerioConnect4.0%
Other86.7%
Email Applications
 

Featured Reviews

MM
Senior Systems Tech/Admin at Samco Software Inc.
A seamless setup ensures smooth communication with comprehensive support
We remain a partner with Sophos and use XG S Firewalls without AWS implementation. We only use Sophos endpoint and Sophos Central. We host some clients on-premise while others we host remotely. The VPN connection is easy and proprietary, so it's not open to any other VPN clients. Communication with other mail servers is seamless. It can communicate with Gmail and Outlook without issues, provided the DNS settings are correct. We monitor our servers and security logs, implementing GeoIP blocking. We frequently block China and India IPs due to brute force attacks on our servers. We have extensive experience with KerioConnect. Backing up and maintaining it is straightforward compared to Microsoft Exchange, making it administrator-friendly. On a scale of 1-10, this solution rates an 8.
AM
Assistant General Manager, IT Infrastructure at SAMI Pharmaceuticals (Pvt.) Limited.
Offers flexibility and cost-effectiveness with multiple service options but could improve support and mobile features
There are many things to consider about email management in Microsoft Exchange Online. The online management is good, the storage is sufficient, and we use most of the features such as the custom rules in Microsoft Exchange Online, which we cannot find in any other email solution. That is a very good option, as we have many options to create custom rules in Microsoft Exchange Online. Regarding security features in Microsoft Exchange Online, we also use Defender for Exchange which includes the basic Exchange Online protection that has spam and threat controls. The use of Defender is beneficial for our security. The flexibility of choosing plans in Microsoft Exchange Online is good. We have chosen the best plan for our use, including multiple licenses such as plan one and business basics, which leads us towards cost-effectiveness, and the pay-as-you-go option is more flexible. Microsoft Exchange Online is very scalable.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"We have contacted technical support a handful of times and received some assistance."
"Kerio Connect is secure, flexible, and easy to control from the user interface. It has many security features able to be controlled from one place, such as anti-spam. I have found it very convenient. Additionally, you can analyze log files and share folders which is helpful."
"As long as the operating is stable, the Kerio connect will be very stable as well, so we don't have any problem with it."
"It's relatively simple to use."
"The most valuable features are its ease of use, excellent pricing, and it is platform agnostic."
"The solution is easy to maintain, unlike Exchange. It's easy to create multiple domains and back up and restore if needed. It also has good security features like anti-spam and antivirus."
"As long as the operating is stable, the Kerio connect will be very stable as well, so we don't have any problem with it."
"Kerio Connect is secure, flexible, and easy to control from the user interface."
"Microsoft Exchange Online is a very stable solution."
"The reliability factor is high."
"Exchange Online's best feature is its webmail platform."
"There are many valuable features such as email, calendar, and the ability to share your calendar and documents with coworkers. Knowing that the emails go through the EOP filtering service is nice as well."
"The solution is scalable."
"Microsoft Exchange Online has great functionality."
"Regarding the pricing and licensing of the solution, it's great."
"The most valuable feature of Microsoft Exchange Online is it helps the IT department with problems."
 

Cons

"KerioConnect is stable as long as you use a strong password."
"This is just a cost, it's not something that's driving our business forward; it's just foundational."
"Most of our clients use Outlook and Kerio Connect. Occasionally, Kerio can be a bit slow. They could make it faster to get onto the web interface without so much load time. It's just slow with Outlook, however, for some reason."
"The solution could improve the redundancy because we only have one copy of the Kerio Connect server on our hardware. The next step for us is to move to the cloud and if Kerio does not have a cloud version available they should release one"
"The solution could improve the redundancy because we only have one copy of the Kerio Connect server on our hardware."
"Most of our clients use Outlook and Kerio Connect. Occasionally, Kerio can be a bit slow."
"I would like to see better support from their support team."
"You cannot integrate with other services like Google Docs, Google Assistant, Google Calendar, etc."
"Functionality wise, I can't really say it's improved from Exchange Online, I think it's not so much change on-premise."
"The configuration of the solution's on-premise version is a little bit difficult, and its troubleshooting is more difficult than the installation itself."
"Microsoft Exchange Online could improve the management usage, it should be more user-friendly."
"Improving the methods for inputting email signatures could be beneficial for the product."
"From an IT perspective, we need clearer documentation to understand the product’s configuration process."
"It should integrate better with social media formats."
"This product is too complex to use."
"Functionality wise, I can't really say it's improved from Exchange Online, I think it's not so much change on-premise. It's about the same. Other than that, it's the extra features that make a difference, really"
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"KerioConnect has a first-time cost and yearly subscription. It is not expensive."
"The solution's pricing depends on how long you plan to keep it because you pay on a per-year basis. You might have a one-time setup cost for something like Microsoft Exchange or a Linux mail server. I'd say this solution is expensive on a per-year basis, almost 2000-3000 dollars annually. It doesn't seem to pay off yet, so we're considering switching to another product."
"The pricing is about $3 per mailbox per month."
"The price of Kerio Connect is better when comparing it to others solutions."
"I pay approximately $120 or $150 per year, and as long as I pay that amount, they will do regular updates so that I always have the most recent and greatest version of the application."
"We have yearly licensing costs."
"We bought some licenses, and some are within our package or partnership with Microsoft."
"I would give the cost a five out of ten."
"I think that the price is a little high, especially considering that Google have a similar, free email solution."
"The solution's pricing is reasonable."
"There is an annual enterprise subscription to use Microsoft Exchange Online. The price is reasonable."
"The pricing for this solution is good. We renew our contract every three years. I would rate the pricing for this solution a three out of five."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Performing Arts
7%
Financial Services Firm
8%
Comms Service Provider
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
Computer Software Company
7%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business10
Midsize Enterprise2
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business40
Midsize Enterprise16
Large Enterprise41
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about KerioConnect?
The most valuable features are security and privacy because you installed it on your server, within your company premises, not in the cloud.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for KerioConnect?
The pricing is very easy to understand. As a partner, we have a monitoring system that informs us when subscriptions expire, allowing us to handle renewals. The pricing is very competitive.
What needs improvement with KerioConnect?
Since KerioConnect is a setup and go solution, everything works on its own. The only administrative tasks required are keeping it up to date, monitoring security logs, and ensuring protection from ...
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange Online?
If I segment it into three points: low price, average, and high price, I would place Microsoft Exchange Online between average and high price.
What needs improvement with Microsoft Exchange Online?
There is room for improvement in Microsoft Exchange Online. Technical support for Microsoft is good, but in all fairness, I sometimes think more can be done. I have personally tried exploring with ...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online?
I currently work with a Microsoft partner and I support users that use Microsoft Exchange Online. I also use Microsoft Exchange Online myself. I use the shared calendar feature of Microsoft Exchang...
 

Also Known As

No data available
Exchange Online, Exchange Online Plan 1, Exchange Online Plan 2, MS Exchange Online
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Southern Tier Brewing Company, Innotta, Baustoff + Metall, Hamifleurs, Chanson TV, Ryman Stationery
Bank Alfalah Ltd., Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Blue Star Infotech, Scitec Nutrition, Resolution Films, British Airways, Empire Cinemas, InnoGames
Find out what your peers are saying about KerioConnect vs. Microsoft Exchange Online and other solutions. Updated: April 2026.
893,915 professionals have used our research since 2012.