Microsoft Exchange vs Zimbra Collaboration comparison

Microsoft and Zimbra are both solutions in the Email Applications category. Microsoft is ranked #3 with an average rating of 8.3, while Zimbra is ranked #5 with an average rating of 8.0. Microsoft holds a 11.4% mindshare in EA, compared to Zimbra’s 9.1% mindshare. Additionally, 93% of Microsoft users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 96% of Zimbra users who would recommend it.

Microsoft Exchange

Read 91 Microsoft Exchange reviews

3,434 Views
2,958 Comparison Views

93% willing to recommend

Zimbra Collaboration

Read 29 Zimbra Collaboration reviews

3,148 Views
2,419 Comparison Views

96% willing to recommend

Microsoft Exchange

Zimbra Collaboration

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jan 12, 2025

Zimbra Collaboration and Microsoft Exchange are competing products in the enterprise email and collaboration market. Microsoft Exchange appears to have an edge due to its robust features, while Zimbra Collaboration offers competitive pricing and advantages in support.

Features: Zimbra Collaboration is recognized for its open-source flexibility, which allows extensive customization. It integrates communication tools like email, chat, video, and voice calls, enhancing team collaboration. Additionally, Zimbra is highly compatible with third-party applications, making it versatile for diverse environments. Microsoft Exchange offers a comprehensive suite of productivity features, ensuring excellent email management and scheduling. Advanced security protocols protect user data, and its seamless integration with other Microsoft services enhances productivity with tools like SharePoint and Microsoft Teams.

Room for Improvement: Zimbra Collaboration could improve its built-in security modules, which are less powerful compared to dedicated solutions. Its two-factor authentication features could be refined for enhanced security. Additionally, Zimbra can work on increasing awareness among potential enterprise customers. Microsoft Exchange has a complex licensing model that might be streamlined. It also has a steeper learning curve for new users. Enhanced customization options for unique business processes could further improve Exchange.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: Zimbra Collaboration provides a straightforward deployment process with support options emphasizing quick response times, beneficial for small to mid-sized businesses. Microsoft Exchange offers a more complex deployment process but provides extensive documentation and premium support services, which can be particularly advantageous for large enterprises needing robust support systems.

Pricing and ROI: Zimbra Collaboration offers a lower setup cost, making it attractive to organizations with limited budgets while providing reliable email and collaboration tools. Its cost-effectiveness suits small to medium businesses seeking essential functionalities. Microsoft Exchange, with its higher initial costs, justifies its pricing with a strong ROI from advanced functionalities and a comprehensive feature set that appeals to businesses focusing on long-term value and extensive integrations.

To learn more, read our detailed Microsoft Exchange vs. Zimbra Collaboration Report (Updated: March 2025).

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange vs. Zimbra Collaboration

March 2025

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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

Microsoft Exchange

Ranking in Email Applications

3rd

Average Rating

8.4

Reviews Sentiment

6.8

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Wireless Email (1st), File Archiving (3rd)

Zimbra Collaboration

Ranking in Email Applications

5th

Average Rating

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of March 2025, in the Email Applications category, the mindshare of Microsoft Exchange is 11.4%, down from 12.9% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Zimbra Collaboration is 9.1%, down from 10.6% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Email Applications

Featured Reviews

Hesham Hussain

Head Of Infrastructure at ValU

A good solution for large enterprises, but is expensive when compared to other solutions

Regarding the decision of increasing the number of users, it depends on the organization's choice, whether to opt for CapEx or OpEx. Both options involve expenses over the years. Building an in-house Exchange solution requires investing in hardware, storage, connectivity, and administrative resources. Office 365 shifts the budget solely to OpEx as a subscription service. Scalability is another factor. Starting a new company favors Office 365 due to cost efficiency. As the organization grows, the choice depends on available resources and technical expertise. An internal Exchange setup is feasible with skilled engineers, while Office 365 suits those lacking in-house resources.

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Muhammad Talha Baig

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.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"The initial setup was straightforward and fast."

"The email management system is very easy to set up, configure, and use."

"Microsoft Exchange is stable."

"Microsoft Exchange is a powerful solution. It can easily integrate with Active Directory and other business applications. It does not require any training, it is flexible and simple to use. When comparing Microsoft Exchange to other solutions, such as Lotus Note, it is more straightforward for business."

"I find Exchange's basic mail features to be highly valuable."

"For me, the solution is very user-friendly. I've used it a long time and I know where everything is."

"The initial setup is very simple."

"The deployment is a plug-and-play process."

More Microsoft Exchange pros

"The most valuable feature of Zimbra Collaboration is the cost."

"Zimbra Collaboration's best feature is its compatibility with Microsoft's ActiveSync protocol, which allows users to use Outlook on Windows or MacOS."

"Zimbra Collaboration has a good web interface."

"Zimbra Collaboration has integrated a lot of their party tools and they have good documentation available."

"Zimbra Collaboration is light to manage. It works on the Linux operating system, which is far better to manage than Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Exchange works only on the Windows server. We prefer working on the Linux server for security reasons and ease of management. Zimbra Collaboration also has some integrated tools for security. It some modules to fight malware. These modules are not very powerful but are still doing a great job. Microsoft Exchange doesn't have a basic module. You have to purchase a security solution and add it to the solution. The cost of Zimbra Collaboration is one more reason for liking it. It is also very simple to migrate from Zimbra Collaboration to another email solution."

"It has all collaboration features, such as document sharing, video conferencing, chatting, task sharing, and calendar sharing."

"The logs, troubleshooting, and tracking we have found to be the most valuable features. We have any issues with lost messages the features are useful. It is very easy to track and log."

"The solution is easy to implement."

More Zimbra Collaboration pros

Cons

"We are not able to use Microsoft Teams due to connection issues. Thus, the product integration with Teams could be improved."

"One thing for improvement would be to have an offline version of Exchange available for use if our connection goes down."

"There are limitations in terms of the number of emails that can be sent in a minute, which makes it a little difficult for the marketing folks."

"Some users encounter stability issues. I connect with the support team through my local partner, which takes time."

"From a reliability perspective, they need to improve the search engine, it is not very powerful."

"There can be occasional challenges during the product's implementation phase, making it an area where improvements are needed."

"Microsoft needs to make some modifications to meet the current needs of the environment. For example, they need to add more cell service features because people work from home during the pandemic, and certain elements should be available as a mobile service."

"The solution is stable, but it could improve. It's crashing if there is a big mail database. The Zimbra solution is better in this area."

More Microsoft Exchange cons

"They should enhance its online meeting features."

"I can confidently say that Zimbra is good enough for 2,000 client users. But, at the same time, if my client needs more than that and we have two options—Zimbra or Microsoft—I'm going with Microsoft because many admins will speak to Microsoft's ability to handle that many."

"File sharing permissions with Nextcloud integration need improvement."

"Zimbra should provide a desktop client. Right now, we are using a web browser for accessing our emails. There should also be a desktop client."

"Zimbra Collaboration does not have a solution roadmap as aggressive as the new collaboration mail solutions. Additionally, they can have a better interface and integration with single sign-on."

"The support was lacking in my experience. However, recently the support I received was good. Perhaps they have improved."

"It would be great if a group chat feature were created to allow for a team environment."

"I would like to see a Microsoft schedule function added."

More Zimbra Collaboration cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

"They are flexible when it comes to pricing, unlike most of the other vendors I have dealt with."

"I rate Microsoft Exchange's pricing a six out of ten."

"It is not expensive."

"Microsoft Exchange is an inexpensive application."

"The solution is expensive to maintain because it requires frequent updates and ongoing server maintenance."

"Licensing fees are paid monthly."

"Its price is very affordable, and basically, it is the standard of the industry. We have the Exchange 365 subscription, which includes the usage of Exchange Online. I don't know the specific cost, but it is the retail price of Microsoft 365 E3 licenses. Microsoft's licensing is not very easy to understand. Microsoft changes rules every other day, which makes it difficult for us to understand the licensing not only for Exchange but also for other products. It can sometimes be really complex to understand what you need to have in order to comply with Microsoft licensing."

"Since my company is on Microsoft Cloud, we pay for the licenses per user. Compared to volume licensing, I would say the present licensing cost is not expensive."

More Microsoft Exchange pricing and cost advice

"Zimbra Collaboration is expensive, and there is no perpetual license option."

"The price of the solution is low."

"The solution is competitively priced."

"If you choose the network edition, it is a little pricier. They have the open-source edition too which is only community supported."

"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."

"On a scale of one to ten, where one is cheap, and ten is expensive, I rate the price a four"

"We pay yearly licenses for Zimbra Collaboration."

"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."

More Zimbra Collaboration pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Computer Software Company

14%

Government

11%

Financial Services Firm

Comms Service Provider

Computer Software Company

19%

Government

Comms Service Provider

Financial Services Firm

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

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...

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What do you like most about Microsoft Exchange?

The initial setup was straightforward and fast.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Microsoft Exchange?

The licensing and pricing are quite costly, which can demotivate customers from opting for features and upgrades. However, the solution provides value for money if one is well-acquainted with Excha...

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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.

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What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Zimbra Collaboration?

The solution is competitively priced.

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What needs improvement with Zimbra Collaboration?

When it comes to administration tasks like configuring specific filters or group signatures, I have to dig into the configuration since there's nothing in the graphical or web interface. The soluti...

See all answers

Comparisons

KerioConnect vs Microsoft Exchange

Compared 18% of the time

Open-Xchange vs Microsoft Exchange

Compared 13% of the time

HCL Domino vs Microsoft Exchange

Compared 12% of the time

HCL Notes vs Microsoft Exchange

Compared 9% of the time

IceWarp vs Microsoft Exchange

Compared 6% of the time

More Microsoft Exchange Competitors

Open-Xchange vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 22% of the time

KerioConnect vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 16% of the time

IceWarp vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 8% of the time

Google Workspace vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 6% of the time

Microsoft Exchange Online vs Zimbra Collaboration

Compared 6% of the time

More Zimbra Collaboration Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange

March 2025

Download Microsoft Exchange product report

Buyer's Guide

Zimbra Collaboration

March 2025

Download Zimbra Collaboration product report

Also Known As

Exchange, MS Exchange

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Overview

Built to deliver the enterprise-grade security and reliability that businesses require, Microsoft Exchange provides email, calendar and contacts on your PC, phone and web browser.

Microsoft

Zimbra Collaboration provides administrators and their end users innovative features that solve the challenges faced by organizations using today's legacy communications infrastructure.

Zimbra

Sample Customers

Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport, Scitec Nutrition, British Airways, InnoGames, Osteology Foundation, Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH, NTC Contracting

NEC Biglobe, City of Ventura, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hola Publishing, BIG, Sleepwell, LaFayette College, Xmission, DNA, Ring Line, Future Group, TIGC

Buyer's Guide

Microsoft Exchange vs. Zimbra Collaboration

March 2025

Free Report: Microsoft Exchange vs. Zimbra Collaboration

Find out what your peers are saying about Microsoft Exchange vs. Zimbra Collaboration and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.

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