Microsoft Exchange Server vs OpenChange

Struggling to choose between Microsoft Exchange Server and OpenChange? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Microsoft Exchange Server is a Network & Admin solution with tags like email, calendar, contacts, tasks, enterprise.

It boasts features such as Email server, Calendar server, Contacts management, Task management, Mobile device synchronization, Web-based access, Collaboration tools, Security and compliance, High availability, Integration with other Microsoft products and pros including Widely adopted and supported, Feature-rich, Reliable and secure, Integrates with Office 365 and Active Directory, Supports mobile devices, Web-based access.

On the other hand, OpenChange is a Office & Productivity product tagged with opensource, exchange, email, server, mapi, ems, oab.

Its standout features include Provides Exchange Server protocol compatibility on Linux, Supports MAPI, EMS, OAB, and other Exchange protocols, Allows Exchange clients to connect to Linux/UNIX servers, Implements Exchange Server features like mailboxes, address books, calendaring, Open source under the GNU General Public License v3, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Avoids licensing costs of Exchange Server, Enables Exchange compatibility on Linux/UNIX, Active development community.

Feature	Microsoft Exchange Server	OpenChange
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Network & Admin	Office & Productivity

Product Overview

Microsoft Exchange Server

Description: Microsoft Exchange Server is an email and calendar server software developed by Microsoft. It allows enterprises to host business email, contacts, calendar, and tasks.

OpenChange

Description: OpenChange is an open source implementation of Microsoft Exchange Server that allows Linux and UNIX servers to interoperate with Microsoft Exchange clients. It provides compatibility with Exchange protocols like MAPI, EMS, and OAB.

Key Features Comparison

Microsoft Exchange Server Features

• Email server
• Calendar server
• Contacts management
• Task management
• Mobile device synchronization
• Web-based access
• Collaboration tools
• Security and compliance
• High availability
• Integration with other Microsoft products

OpenChange Features

• Provides Exchange Server protocol compatibility on Linux
• Supports MAPI, EMS, OAB, and other Exchange protocols
• Allows Exchange clients to connect to Linux/UNIX servers
• Implements Exchange Server features like mailboxes, address books, calendaring
• Open source under the GNU General Public License v3

Pros & Cons Analysis

Microsoft Exchange Server

Pros

• Widely adopted and supported
• Feature-rich
• Reliable and secure
• Integrates with Office 365 and Active Directory
• Supports mobile devices
• Web-based access

Cons

• Complex setup and management
• Expensive licensing
• Frequent updates required
• Lock-in to Microsoft ecosystem
• Limited customization options

OpenChange

Pros

• Free and open source
• Avoids licensing costs of Exchange Server
• Enables Exchange compatibility on Linux/UNIX
• Active development community

Cons

• Limited feature set compared to full Exchange Server
• Lacks some management capabilities
• Interoperability issues with some Exchange clients
• Limited enterprise deployment support

Pricing Comparison

Microsoft Exchange Server

• Subscription-Based

OpenChange

• Open Source