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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
93
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.
MP
Assistant Consultant
Cloud email has simplified daily communication and has reduced our infrastructure workload
Microsoft Exchange Online offers exceptional features as a cloud-based platform that eliminates the need to manage infrastructure. It operates on a license-based model, requiring only a Microsoft E5, E3, or F3 license. Based on the license type, users receive a mailbox and can access it through Outlook on mobile, Outlook on the web, or the Outlook desktop client. The cloud-based nature of Microsoft Exchange Online has positively impacted our workflow. Previously, we used Microsoft Exchange on-premises and had to manage the data center, upgrade servers, and calculate data center costs. Managing different servers was complex. After migrating to Microsoft Exchange Online, we no longer need to manage these tasks. We simply pay a subscription fee, and Microsoft hosts our mailbox. As administrators, we handle the configuration, while Microsoft manages the hosting of servers and databases. The transition to Microsoft Exchange Online was seamless because we were on Exchange on-premises and then migrated using the hybrid configuration wizard for a hybrid migration approach. Some mailboxes remained on-premises while others migrated to the cloud. We also migrated our transport rules, disclaimer policies, and DLP to the cloud, creating a seamless experience since both products are owned by Microsoft and integrate well. Microsoft Exchange Online has positively impacted our organization as a cost-saving effort. When managing Exchange on-premises, we had to manage the data center, storage, server upgrades, and continuously patch servers to mitigate security vulnerabilities. We paid Microsoft for the server operating system license, and significant effort and cost were involved. After migrating to Microsoft Exchange Online, we only pay the subscription, and Microsoft handles all upgrades and maintenance. This was a cost-effective initiative.

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 features are security and privacy because you installed it on your server, within your company premises, not in the cloud."
"We use the solution as a mail server. It connects with Outlook and is used for calendaring and similar tasks."
"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."
"We have contacted technical support a handful of times and received some assistance."
"The user interface is good."
"Backing up and maintaining it is straightforward compared to Microsoft Exchange, making it administrator-friendly."
"What I like most about Kerio Connect is that it supports ActiveSync, and that is its most critical feature. The solution is also a nice, simple, robust, and stable mail server."
"The initial setup is pretty much straightforward."
"The online version is faster, as it is a cloud instance. We can have massive mailbox capacity: 100 GB per user, which is huge. We can't provision such capacity internally, as the company would get burnt out paying for mailbox storage."
"Compared to the competitors, I would say it gives you a lot more functionality and is easy to integrate with other applications and tools."
"This means that the solution offers complete scalability and flexibility."
"The most valuable feature is being able to assign an individual a task."
"There have been reduced workload, cost savings, and effort savings since moving to Microsoft Exchange Online."
"My primary use case for this solution is for clumping emails, and group emails according to the conversation."
"Exchange Online is the best solution currently available in the market."
 

Cons

"Most of our clients use Outlook and Kerio Connect. Occasionally, Kerio can be a bit slow."
"Most of our clients use Outlook and Kerio Connect. Occasionally, Kerio can be a bit slow."
"This is just a cost, it's not something that's driving our business forward; it's just foundational."
"It could be simpler to use and install, but I still wouldn't use it because there isn't a compelling use case."
"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."
"KerioConnect continues to improve with regular updates throughout the year. They must be added to the roadmap, which requires approval."
"I don't particularly like this solution. I would not recommend this solution to others."
"The solution could improve the redundancy because we only have one copy of the Kerio Connect server on our hardware."
"Using this solution is initially quite complicated."
"Functionality wise, I can't really say it's improved from Exchange Online, I think it's not so much change on-premise."
"I don't really like the response time of the web GUI for administration."
"It is tricky to integrate Microsoft Exchange Online if you are in an infrastructure provided by other vendors."
"I couldn't delete an email account because it was identified as my primary account by the application."
"The configuration of the solution's on-premise version is a little bit difficult, and its troubleshooting is more difficult than the installation itself."
"This product is too complex to use."
"There is an annual enterprise subscription could improve by having more features."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Kerio Connect is better when comparing it to others solutions."
"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."
"KerioConnect has a first-time cost and yearly subscription. It is not expensive."
"The pricing is about $3 per mailbox per month."
"The solution costs $12 to $16 per user per month."
"There is an annual license required to use this Microsoft Exchange Online."
"The costs of this platform vary based on subscriptions, but it is generally reasonable."
"The licensing cost increased at least 15 to 20 percent recently and it would be helpful for them to be reduced."
"In my opinion, the online license is the best one we have. It is a bundle that we have from Microsoft. It is a bit high in price."
"Microsoft Exchange Online is an affordable solution."
"My company needs to make monthly payments towards the licensing costs attached to the product. I feel that the price of the product is affordable."
"Our organization pays for a corporate license to use the solution."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
14%
Manufacturing Company
9%
Computer Software Company
7%
Retailer
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 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 primary use case for KerioConnect?
Small medium-sized businesses are our primary focus, particularly in warehouse distribution and retail sectors. We are a reseller and purchase directly from Sophos.
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.
894,668 professionals have used our research since 2012.