Overview: In this blog, we will discuss the best Zimbra mail server alternatives, the reasons to switch, compare their features, and take the help of a professional solution to convert TGZ mailboxes to different file formats for migration purposes.
Reasons to Look for Zimbra Mail Alternatives
There are some common cases why people are searching for a Zimbra mail server alternative.
- You need to perform regular updates, take backups, daily monitoring, and overall maintenance
- To keep check to all those factors, you need to spend more time
- When your company grows, then it is hard to manage enterprise licensing and additional features fees
- Businesses want email platforms that work well with CRM, and provide workflow automation
- Users move to cloud-based platforms to reduce costs and access emails from anywhere
- If you have large mailboxes with high number of users, then it can slow down your server response
- You need to upgrade your hardware timely to manage Zimbra data
- There are email platforms with a user-friendly interface to work smoothly and sync your emails
Also Read: Zimbra Connector for Outlook
Best Zimbra Mail Server Alternative – 10 Choices to Make
Go through all of them one by one to know where you can go. We have provided the features, pros, cons, and when to choose.
#1. Microsoft Exchange Online (Microsoft 365)
It is a business-level email service which works with Outlook, Microsoft Teams, shared mailboxes, and security features.
Pros:
- Great reliability
- High security levels
- There are built in compliance
- Big mailbox size to store emails
Cons:
- It is subscription based package
- You need to have learning about administrator role
Best for:
- Big businesses
- Hybrid IT environments
- Microsoft users
#2. Google Workspace (Gmail)
It includes Gmail together with Google Drive, Meet, Docs, Sheets, and Calendar services to collaborate in the cloud environment.
Pros:
- Simple interface to use
- Has built-in spam protection
- It provides effective collaboration features
Cons:
- Less desktop-oriented than Outlook
- It works on paid subscription model
Best for:
- Distributed teams
- Small and medium type of businesses
- Organizations based on education
#3. Mozilla Thunderbird
It is a free desktop-based email client that can handle multiple accounts related to IMAP, POP3, Exchange. There are various add-ons which you can use to import your MBOX data.
Advantages:
- It is free to use
- Open-source software
- Very customizable
Disadvantages:
- Lacks a native mail server
- It needs manual configuration
Best for:
- Individuals
- Small enterprises
- Budget-related organizations
#4. Proton Mail
This is also a good Zimbra mail server alternative. It is all about privacy with end-to-end encryption and provides you email services which are hosted on cloud.
Pros:
- Good encryption
- Zero-access model
- Cloud-based security
Cons:
- It does not give you much free storage space
- There are very few productivity tools
Best for:
- Users concerned about privacy
- Basically your Law firms
- Companies focused more on security
#5. IceWarp
You will get emails, collaboration, conferencing options, you can create or edit documents, and communicate within teams.
Advantages:
- Has advanced collaboration features
- You can deploy on Cloud or on-premise environment
- The prices is reasonable
Disadvantages:
- Limited ecosystem infrastructure
- Less options to integrate with others app
#6. Kerio Connect
It helps businesses to sync email, calendars, contacts, tasks, and mobile device data to other services. This gives users an excellent option for Zimbra mail server alternatives.
Advantages:
- It is easy to manage
- Supports multiple platforms
- Work with ActiveSync
Disadvantages:
- It has less market acceptance
- You need to have premium software licensing
#7. MailEnable
It is a mail server typically for Windows that supports SMTP, IMAP, POP3, Web Mail, and helps in collaboration.
Advantages:
- Based on Windows
- It has different versions of it
- Simple installation steps
Disadvantages:
- It supports only Windows OS
- Enterprise features are only available in the paid version
#8. hMailServer
It is an open-source and lightweight email server that is compatible with Windows OS.
Pros:
- It is cost-free
- Very low consumption of resources
- Easy to configure
Cons:
- No scope of development
- Limited collaboration features
Best for:
- Users who works only on Windows
- Developers
- Cost-effective application
#9. Zoho Mail
It is an ad-free, secure email hosting service that is built specifically for companies. You can easily integrate with other Zoho apps such as CRM, projects, & more.
Best Suited for:
- Small and medium-size businesses
- Startups with basic email needs
- Companies using the Zoho environment
Pros:
- User-friendly interface
- Affordable subscription plans
- There are lots of administration tools
- You can manage your emails without any ads
Cons:
- It is effective only within the Zoho environment
- Fewer integration options compared to others
- In order to use collaboration tools, you need to upgrade your subscription levels
- Very hard for users who are switching from other email services
#10. Axigen Mail Server
It is a combined enterprise solution that offers cloud, on-premise, and hybrid mode including built-in calendar and contact management.
Best Suited for:
- Businesses ranging from small to large size
- If you need on-premise installations
- Users looking for flexible email hosting solutions
Pros:
- You have various ways to deploy
- Good security provisions
- Flexible architecture
- Multiple collaboration features
- Cross platform support
Cons:
- Limited user base
- You need to purchase to use advanced features
- Require technical knowledge for installation
Convert Zimbra TGZ Mailboxes Using Automated Solution
A switch to a new email service usually means that you want to transfer existing Zimbra mailbox data. Zimbra keeps mailbox data in TGZ file format, which most email applications and cloud systems cannot import. In that case, you can use SysTools Zimbra Converter to convert TGZ files to PST, MBOX, PDF, EML & much more.
Key Features:
- It maintains the original folder structure, email header, & attachments
- Tool supports batch conversion at one go
- There is selective export of mailboxes based on date range
- The software is applicable to both individual users and corporate ones
Easy Steps to Migrate Zimbra Mailbox Data Through our Software
1. Download & Install our tool to your computer.
2. If you want to upload Zimbra emails, you can click on the Add File/Folder button.
3. Next, choose the TGZ file as your source file.
4. After loading the file, you can see your imported data.
5. You can move your data by exporting the data or by exporting selected files.
6. Here, choose PST as the final output format.
7. Tap on “Advanced Settings” to exclude selected files & folders.
8. Hit Export to start the export process.
9. Finally, click on Save to see your files.
Important Tips to Note Before Choosing
Prior to choosing a Zimbra mail server alternative, read the following points:
- Find out whether you require cloud or on-premises solutions
- Compare the pricing and cost factors
- Make sure that the platform is connected with IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Exchange, and Microsoft 365.
- Know the storage capacity
- Look for security measures such as MFA and encryption
- See, if the email client is meeting your needs
- Go with a solution with good customer support and updates
Conclusion
To select the best Zimbra mail server alternative, you need to check certain factors. It includes budget, security, collaboration, and even the technical infrastructure of the business. However, before moving to a new system, it is equally important to have access to the data that you have in your Zimbra mailbox. As not all these email clients support TGZ files, you need to convert into different supported formats first. For this, you can go with our expert solution to enjoy smooth file conversion.
