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KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange Online comparison

Why PeerSpot?
 

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
2nd
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 September 2026, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of KerioConnect is 3.3%, down from 4.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Microsoft Exchange Online is 9.7%, down from 12.8% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Email Applications Mindshare Distribution
ProductMindshare (%)
Microsoft Exchange Online9.7%
KerioConnect3.3%
Other87.0%
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.
Yogesh Autade - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Security Engineer at Softcell Technologies Limited
Integrated email security has improved phishing response and provides better threat visibility
Microsoft Exchange Online could be improved with more intuitive administration workflows, better troubleshooting visibility, and simpler mail flow analysis for complex environments. We would also appreciate more granular reporting, faster access to detailed message tracking data, and improved alerting around suspicious mailbox activity to help security and messaging teams investigate issues more efficiently. One area where Microsoft Exchange Online could improve is the administrative user experience. Some advanced mail flow, compliance, and troubleshooting tasks still require navigating multiple Microsoft portals. A more unified management interface and deeper integration visibility across Exchange, Defender, and Microsoft 365 security tools would make day-to-day operations more efficient for administrators and SOC teams.

Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"This solution is our SMB alternative to Exchange, installed for more than forty SMB customers in a Linux environment with all of the collaboration features."
"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."
"The most valuable features are security and privacy because you installed it on your server, within your company premises, not in the cloud."
"Kerio Connect is secure, flexible, and easy to control from the user interface."
"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."
"Backing up and maintaining it is straightforward compared to Microsoft Exchange, making it administrator-friendly."
"We have contacted technical support a handful of times and received some assistance."
"The most valuable features are its ease of use, excellent pricing, and it is platform agnostic."
"They were very happy because of the stability of the cloud and they forgot the troubleshooting to the servers."
"The best thing about Microsoft Exchange Online is that it's integrated with the Outlook application."
"It is pretty good, and user friendly."
"It has helped us because we don't have to worry about servers crashing."
"Exchange Online is a straightforward cloud-based application. It's easy to connect and the interface is user friendly."
"Exchange Online's performance and stability are very good."
"Intuitive in how to use."
"The product’s most valuable feature is the online archive."
 

Cons

"Having a native Outlook map integration would make Kerio Connect better."
"The search and archiving documentation capabilities need to be stronger."
"I don't particularly like this solution. I would not recommend this solution to others."
"KerioConnect continues to improve with regular updates throughout the year. They must be added to the roadmap, which requires approval."
"Most of our clients use Outlook and Kerio Connect. Occasionally, Kerio can be a bit slow."
"We cannot compete with them because they're fully integrated with their applications."
"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."
"This is a single solution and if it's the first time you've used Exchange, it's extremely difficult to get users onboard because it's much more complicated than you'd have with 365, for example."
"Microsoft needs to lower the price of the extra production add-ins for Exchange Online."
"Exchange Online's scalability could be improved."
"Using this solution is initially quite complicated."
"I don't really like the response time of the web GUI for administration. All this seems a bit slow and not responsive enough."
"The solution’s API integrations could be improved."
"Microsoft Exchange Online could improve the overall protection of the solution."
"The configuration of the solution's on-premise version is a little bit difficult, and its troubleshooting is more difficult than the installation itself."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The price of Kerio Connect is better when comparing it to others solutions."
"KerioConnect has a first-time cost and yearly subscription. It is not expensive."
"The pricing is about $3 per mailbox per month."
"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."
"Microsoft solutions are expensive."
"The cost of Microsoft Exchange Online is approximately $4 to $36 per user. They do not give a discount which is not good. The solution is expensive if you have 800 to 1,000 users. They should give discounts when you have a lot of users."
"I find it reasonably priced."
"It is a cluster solution."
"The price of the solution could be less expensive."
"I would say the solution is reasonable and affordable."
"The licensing cost increased at least 15 to 20 percent recently and it would be helpful for them to be reduced."
"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."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Comms Service Provider
13%
Manufacturing Company
11%
Construction Company
9%
Outsourcing Company
8%
Comms Service Provider
10%
Financial Services Firm
9%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Construction 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 Business41
Midsize Enterprise17
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?
Microsoft Exchange Online could be improved with more intuitive administration workflows, better troubleshooting visibility, and simpler mail flow analysis for complex environments. We would also a...
What is your primary use case for Microsoft Exchange Online?
Microsoft Exchange Online serves as our enterprise email hosting platform, providing secure mail flow management and centralized messaging services for users across multiple locations. From a secur...
 

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: August 2026.
911,769 professionals have used our research since 2012.