Honest system comparison · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared: including where others are better

We compare nextxch with 15 mail and groupware solutions. For each product you see where it is better than nextxch, where nextxch is better and what it costs for 250 users. Plus a separate list of everything nextxch still lacks. Vendor details with sources; anything we could not check is marked as such.

Summary

Who should pick nextxch, and who should not

nextxch is a good fit if ...

  • you want to run mail and groupware yourself (Windows® Service, Linux, Docker® or Kubernetes®) at public prices: free up to 6 mailboxes, Business from €2.40, Enterprise with ActiveSync®, EWS and MAPI from €4.80 per mailbox per year.
  • your users work with webmail, iPhone/iPad, Android, Apple Mail or Thunderbird (IMAP, CalDAV/CardDAV), with Enterprise also via ActiveSync®-compatible push* and Outlook® for iOS/Android.
  • you need a GoBD archive with auditor role, OCR and ZUGFeRD search and German procedural documentation (from Business).
  • you already run Microsoft® SQL Server® or PostgreSQL® and want to move from hMailServer, an IMAP server or (with Enterprise) Exchange® 2013 to 2019.
  • you are fine with a young product and a direct line to the development team.

Better pick something else if ...

  • you need a long-proven solution with the full Exchange® scope for Outlook® for Windows with the Exchange® account type: Exchange Server® SE, grommunio or SmarterMail. nextxch supports MAPI over HTTP but not yet every Exchange® special feature.
  • you need a long-proven EWS solution: Kerio Connect, SmarterMail, grommunio or Exchange Server® SE.
  • you want chat, video conferencing, file storage and online office from one source: Microsoft 365®, IceWarp, grommunio or Carbonio Workspace.
  • you need MDM with remote wipe and device policies: Exchange® with Intune, grommunio, Kerio Connect or Zimbra Professional.
  • you do not want to run your own server: Exchange Online® / Microsoft 365®, IceWarp Cloud or a hosting partner.
  • you need a long-proven vendor with a large installed base, partner network, certifications or 24/7 support: Microsoft®, Axigen (24x7 in Business Complete), Zimbra, Kerio Connect.
  • you want a free open-source solution: Stalwart Community or Postfix + Dovecot (with SOGo or Roundcube).
Frankly

What nextxch does not have (yet)

The real gaps across all competitors, with the current state in nextxch and who can do it today. If one of these points is decisive for you, another product is the better choice today.

What is missingState in nextxchWho has it today
Maturity and installed baseYoung product: the 1.x versions were released in 2026, currently version 1.4. There are hardly any public references and no published large installations yet.Exchange®, Postfix + Dovecot, Zimbra, Axigen, MDaemon, Kerio Connect and SmarterMail have been in use for many years; Stalwart has a large open-source community.
Maturity of the Outlook® connection (MAPI over HTTP)Available since version 1.4 with Enterprise: Outlook® for Windows sets up an Exchange® account via Autodiscover (mail, calendar, contacts, address book, sending). The implementation is young and does not yet cover every Exchange® special feature.Native: Exchange Server® SE, Exchange Online®, grommunio, SmarterMail (add-on). Via add-in: Axigen, MailEnable, MDaemon, Zimbra Professional, Kerio Connect.
Maturity of the EWS connection (Apple Mail, Outlook® for Mac)Available since version 1.4 with Enterprise for Apple Mail, Calendar and Contacts and Outlook® for Mac. The implementation is young and not yet as field-proven as with the vendors on the right.Exchange Server® SE, grommunio, SmarterMail (add-on), Kerio Connect, Zimbra (separate EWS licence).
Microsoft® protocols only with EnterpriseActiveSync®, EWS, MAPI over HTTP and Autodiscover are unlocked only with a signed Enterprise or 30-day trial key, because of Microsoft®'s licence terms for these protocols (Enterprise from €4.80 per mailbox per year, from 15 mailboxes). Enterprise and the Enterprise trial are available on request; the separate licence agreement for these protocols is signed with the first request or order. With Free and Business, Outlook® works via IMAP/SMTP plus CalDAV/CardDAV, and phones via IMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV.*Microsoft® itself (Exchange Server®, Exchange Online®). Which other vendors hold a protocol licence is not verified.
Mobile device managementActiveSync® provisioning with a permissive policy only (optionally enforced); no remote wipe, no password or encryption policies for devices.Exchange® (with Intune), grommunio (remote wipe, policies), Kerio Connect (remote wipe), Zimbra Professional, Carbonio (add-on).
Own mobile appsApps for iOS and Android announced but not yet in the App Store or on Google Play. Today: iOS Mail, the Outlook® app and Android clients.Microsoft® (Outlook® app), IceWarp (mobile app and desktop client), grommunio (chat apps).
Chat, video conferencing, file storage, online officeNot included. There are only Teams meeting links on events and Encrypted File Share for secure file transfer.Microsoft 365®, IceWarp, grommunio, Carbonio Workspace, SmarterMail; chat also in Kerio Connect and MailEnable, documents in Zimbra.
Maturity of Kerberos SSO and OAuth for protocolsNewly available: Kerberos SSO for webmail, admin and mail protocols from Business with an AD identity source, OAuth 2.1 (XOAUTH2, OAUTHBEARER, device code) for IMAP, SMTP, POP3 and ManageSieve in every tier. Both are off by default and young; tests against a production Active Directory with Outlook® and Thunderbird are still pending.Exchange® (Kerberos, Modern Auth), grommunio, IceWarp (Kerberos).
Migration from Microsoft 365®Built in are the hMailServer direct import and live IMAP sync, with Enterprise also migration from Exchange® 2013 to 2019 via EWS (mail, calendars, contacts, notes, tasks) and PST import. From Microsoft 365® only email via IMAP today.Specialised third-party migration tools (not rated here).
Certifications and external auditsNo product certification and no published external penetration test; audit according to IDW PS 880 in preparation.Microsoft 365® (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001, BSI C5).
Support and SLAVendor support by email from Waldenbuch, no 24/7 hotline. A binding SLA is only included from 10,000 accounts, below that as an addendum.Axigen Business Complete (24x7), Microsoft®, Stalwart (Premium Support from 150 mailboxes), grommunio and Kerio Connect via partners.
Partner network and ecosystemReseller terms exist, but no established partner network yet. No plugin marketplace; there are the REST API v1 and nextxch-cli.Microsoft®, grommunio, Kerio Connect and Zimbra with partners; SmarterMail with a marketplace.
Hosted offeringNo SaaS by iqmeta GmbH; nextxch is self-hosted only (own server, VPS or at a hoster).Exchange Online® / Microsoft 365®, IceWarp Cloud; Kerio Connect and grommunio via hosting partners.
Commercial filter enginesOwn adaptive spam filter with greylisting and ClamAV; no licensed engine. For a second engine we recommend a gateway in front.Axigen (Bitdefender), SmarterMail (Cyren and Message Sniffer optional), Exchange Online Protection, IceWarp (Anti-Spam LIVE).
Price compared to open sourcePaid from 7 mailboxes and not open source; Business at entry level (up to 99 mailboxes) about 20% more expensive than Stalwart Enterprise.Free: Stalwart Community, Postfix + Dovecot, SOGo, Horde.
Proven large installationsCluster architecture (active-active) is in place, but there are no published installations with tens of thousands of accounts.Exchange Online®, Dovecot.
At a glance

Protocols, features and price of all products

Green: available. Orange: limited, as an add-on, via add-in or in development. Grey with cross: not available. Grey italic: not listed on the vendor pages or not verified by us. The table scrolls sideways; click a product name to jump to its section.

ProductIMAPPOP3SMTPJMAPCalDAV / CardDAVActiveSync®EWSMAPI (Outlook® for Windows)WebmailGroupwareOwn mobile appsCluster / HAAnti-spam / antivirusArchivingLicensing modelPrice for 250 users (net)
nextxch IMAP4rev2 With STLS, UIDL, SASL ESMTP, submission RFC 8620/8621 BothEnterprise only*Enterprise only: Apple Mail, Outlook® for MacEnterprise only: Outlook® for Windows (MAPI over HTTP) PWA, 15 colour themes Calendar, contacts, tasks, notes; sharing and rooms from BusinessAnnounced, not yet in stores Active-active from Business Adaptive filter + ClamAV GoBD WORM archive from BusinessPer active mailbox per year: Free up to 6 at no cost, Business from €2.40, Enterprise from €4.80, volume pricing€450 / year (Business), €900 / year (Enterprise)
Stalwart
Community (AGPL) / Enterprise
IMAP4rev2 Yes Yes Mail, calendars, contacts, files Plus WebDAV No No No Admin UI onlyServer-side (DAV/JMAP), no own UI None Also in CommunitySpam filter built in; antivirus not listedRetention; no GoBD archive listedCommunity free (AGPL-3.0); Enterprise per mailbox and year, tiered€500 / year (Enterprise), Community €0
Microsoft 365® / Exchange Online®
Exchange Online® Plan 1
Yes Yes Submission (SMTP AUTH) No No Native No Native Outlook® on the web Complete Outlook® app Operated by Microsoft® Exchange Online ProtectionArchive mailbox; advanced compliance via PurviewCloud subscription per user and monthapprox. €11,100 / year
Microsoft® Exchange Server® SE
Subscription Edition (since 1 Jul 2025)
Yes Yes Yes No No Native Native Native (MAPI over HTTP) Outlook® on the web Incl. public folders Outlook® app DAGBasic agents + malware filterIn-place archive (Enterprise CAL)Server licence + CAL per user or device, only with Software Assurance or a cloud subscriptionon request
grommunio
Basic / Plus / Business
Yes Yes YesNot listed Both Native Native Native, no add-in Yes Incl. chat, meet, files, officeChat apps; mail via ActiveSync®Not verifiedRule-based; antivirus not listed With audit logSubscription per user and month via certified partners; Community free up to 5 users€5,970 to €16,470 / year
Axigen
Business Core / Business Complete
Yes Yes YesNot listed BothAdd-on; included in CompleteNot listedOutlook Connector (add-in) HTML5 + mobile webmail YesNot listedClustering in the ISP editionBitdefender as add-on; included in CompleteUser archive, backup and restoreAnnual licence per user (from 10, in packs of 5) incl. 1 year maintenance€4,497.57 / year (Complete)
MailEnable
Enterprise Premium
Yes Yes YesNot listed BothAdd-on per mailbox and yearNot listedMAPI Connector (add-in) Yes YesNot listed From Enterprise Bayesian, greylisting + ClamAV Message archivingPerpetual licence per server, unlimited mailboxes; ActiveSync® per mailbox and yearUS$1,295 one-time + US$1,198 / year ActiveSync®
IceWarp
Server (self-hosted) / Cloud
Yes (IDLE)Not listed as a protocol in the spec YesNot listed Both EAS 16.0 / 16.1Supported per icewarp.com, scope not describedOutlook Sync (add-in) WebClient Incl. TeamChat, documents, conferencing Mobile app and desktop client Multi-node and HA SpamAssassin + own antivirus Mail and chat archiveServer licence on request; cloud per user and monthon request (cloud: €6,750 / year)
SmarterMail
Enterprise
Yes Yes YesNot listed BothAdd-on per mailboxMAPI/EWS add-onNative, MAPI/EWS add-on Yes Incl. chat, online meetings, files No own appHubs & nodes as a separate monthly plan Spam filter + ClamAV; Cyren and Message Sniffer optional Server-wide or per domainPerpetual licence by mailbox tier incl. 12 months maintenanceUS$3,075 in year 1 (with MAPI/EWS and EAS)
Kerio Connect
GFI
Yes Yes YesNot listed Both Direct push For Outlook® for Mac and Apple MailKerio Outlook Connector (add-in) Kerio Connect Client Incl. chat (XMPP)Not listedMulti-server, multi-tenant; HA not listed Multi-layer spam filter + antivirus Archive + backupVia GFI partners, price on requeston request
MDaemon
Email Server
Yes Yes YesNot listed BothAdd-on per user and yearNot listedConnector for Outlook (add-in, add-on) Yes YesNot listedNot verifiedAnti-spam built in; AntiVirus as add-onNot verifiedTerm licence (1 to 3 years) per user, add-ons per user and yearUS$4,108 / year (with EAS, connector, AV)
Zimbra
Daffodil (v10) Professional
Yes Yes YesNot listed Both (both editions)Professional onlySeparate EWS licence (extra cost)Connector for Outlook (add-in), Professional only Yes Incl. Zimbra OfficeNot listedNot listedNot listedArchiving & Discovery Professional onlyAnnual subscription; price by quoteon request
Zextras Carbonio
Community / Email / Workspace
YesNot listed YesNot listedNot listedAdd-on; not in CommunityNot listedOutlook® sync as add-on Yes Workspace: meetings, online documentsNot listedNot listedNot listedBackup, storage tiering (HSM)Editions with add-ons; price on requeston request
tine Groupware
Business Edition (on-premises)
As client; separate mail server needed NoVia separate mail serverNot listedCalDAV; CardDAV not listed iOS, Android, Windows MailNot listedNot listed Yes Incl. files, time trackingNot listedNot listedVia the mail serverNot listedSubscription in user packs (1 to 3 years) incl. updates and support€5,800 / year
SOGo / Horde Groupware
Open source
Separate IMAP server neededVia the mail serverSeparate mail server needed No Both Both NoSOGo: third-party synchronizer Yes Yes NoneDepends on setupSeparate (e.g. Rspamd, ClamAV) NoOpen source (GPL/LGPL), no licence fees€0 licence
Postfix + Dovecot + Rspamd
Open source, with Roundcube / SOGo
Dovecot Dovecot Postfix NoVia SOGo / NextcloudVia SOGo / Z-Push No NoSeparate Roundcube / SOGoVia extra components NoneManual (director, proxy) Rspamd + ClamAVThird-party archiveOpen source, no licence fees€0 licence

As of: November 2026. nextxch prices net per mailbox per year: Free up to 6 mailboxes at no cost; Business from €2.40 (250 mailboxes: €1.80); Enterprise with ActiveSync®, EWS and MAPI from €4.80 (250 mailboxes: €3.60), on request. The step price applies to all mailboxes of the licence.

Product by product

Where the others are better, where nextxch is better

nextxch compared to Stalwart

Community (AGPL) / Enterprise

Where Stalwart is better

  • The Community edition is open source (AGPL-3.0) and free without a mailbox limit. nextxch is not open source and only free up to 6 accounts.
  • Cheaper at entry level: Enterprise costs €2.00 per mailbox per year versus €2.40 for nextxch Business (up to 99 mailboxes), €1.70 from 500 mailboxes, tiered down to €0.89 in very large installations.
  • Very large open-source community (over 15,000 stars on GitHub), many guides, hosting templates and third-party integrations.
  • Wide storage choice (RocksDB, FoundationDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB, SQLite, S3, Azure Blob); clustering and high availability already in the free Community edition.
  • Mailboxes can be encrypted at rest with the user's S/MIME or OpenPGP key; Enterprise adds an AI spam classifier.
  • Premium Support is included from 150 mailboxes (initial response within 48 business hours).

Where nextxch is better

  • Built-in webmail (PWA) with calendar, contacts, tasks, notes, S/MIME and OpenPGP. Stalwart lists only an admin UI; webmail is added externally (e.g. Roundcube).
  • For 250 mailboxes €450 (Business, €1.80 per mailbox) instead of €500 per year.
  • With Enterprise, ActiveSync®-compatible push* for iPhone, Android and Outlook® for iOS/Android plus EWS and MAPI over HTTP; Stalwart lists no ActiveSync®.
  • Scheduling with rooms and resources, booking pages and Teams meetings on events.
  • Native Windows® Service with .msi wizard and Microsoft® SQL Server® as database; Stalwart lists no MS SQL Server®.
  • GoBD WORM archive with auditor role, OCR and ZUGFeRD search and procedural documentation export; Encrypted File Share in webmail.
  • Even the free Free tier (up to 6 mailboxes) includes the full webmail, S/MIME and OpenPGP, 2FA and passkeys, and the admin with spam filter and antivirus.

Price for 250 users

€500 / year (Enterprise), Community €0

  • Stalwart Enterprise tier 1 (25 to 499 mailboxes): €2.00 per mailbox per year, i.e. €500 for 250 mailboxes, with Premium Support (from 150 mailboxes).
  • Community edition: €0, community support only.
  • nextxch Business: €450 per year for 250 mailboxes (€1.80 per mailbox). At entry level (up to 99 mailboxes) Business costs €2.40, about 20% more than Stalwart Enterprise.

Sources: stalw.art/pricing · stalw.art/compare · github.com/stalwartlabs/stalwart · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Microsoft 365® / Exchange Online®

Exchange Online® Plan 1

Where Microsoft 365® / Exchange Online® is better

  • No server of your own: Microsoft® handles hosting, updates, high availability and operations. With nextxch you run the server, updates and backups yourself.
  • Outlook® for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android with the full feature set and decades of field use; nextxch connects Outlook® for Windows via MAPI over HTTP and Mac via EWS with Enterprise, but only since version 1.4.
  • Huge ecosystem depending on plan: Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Office apps, Intune (MDM), Defender and Purview, plus thousands of integrations and partners.
  • Certifications and attestations (e.g. ISO/IEC 27001, BSI C5); nextxch has no product certification yet.
  • Largest installed base in business: specialists, service providers and know-how are available everywhere.

Where nextxch is better

  • Data stays on your own infrastructure, without access by a US provider (CLOUD Act).
  • For 250 mailboxes €900 licence per year (Enterprise with ActiveSync®, EWS and MAPI over HTTP) instead of approx. €11,100 (Plan 1); add your own server or VPS and your operating effort.
  • Open standards: JMAP, IMAP4rev2, CalDAV and CardDAV; Exchange Online® offers no CalDAV/CardDAV.
  • GoBD WORM archive with auditor role, OCR and ZUGFeRD search from Business without a further add-on licence.

Price for 250 users

approx. €11,100 / year

  • Exchange Online® Plan 1: approx. €44.40 per user per year incl. hosting, i.e. approx. €11,100 for 250 users.
  • Microsoft 365® Business Standard (with Office apps and Teams): approx. €140.40 per user per year.
  • nextxch Enterprise: €900 licence per year (€3.60 per mailbox), plus server, operations and backups.

Sources: microsoft.com (Exchange Online-Pläne) · petri.com (EWS-Abschaltung) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Microsoft® Exchange Server® SE

Subscription Edition (since 1 Jul 2025)

Where Microsoft® Exchange Server® SE is better

  • The original: Outlook® for Windows via MAPI over HTTP, EWS, ActiveSync® and Outlook® on the web, native without add-in, proven over many versions.
  • Public folders, shared mailboxes, deep Active Directory integration and hybrid operation with Exchange Online®.
  • High availability with Database Availability Groups (DAG), Exchange Management Shell and a very large pool of admin and partner know-how.
  • Enterprise CAL with In-Place Archive, In-Place Hold and information protection.
  • Broad ecosystem for backup, archive, signatures and security, plus worldwide vendor support.

Where nextxch is better

  • Public price (Enterprise with ActiveSync®, EWS and MAPI over HTTP from €4.80 per mailbox per year, €900 for 250 mailboxes) instead of volume licensing with Software Assurance, CALs and Windows Server® licences.
  • Also runs on Linux, in Docker® and Kubernetes®, as a single process with a small resource footprint.
  • CalDAV/CardDAV and JMAP for non-Microsoft clients, built-in anti-spam with ClamAV and a GoBD archive.
  • No dependency on IIS and Active Directory. Exchange servers have repeatedly been targets of large-scale attacks (e.g. ProxyLogon 2021); a new code base, however, is no proof of security in itself.

Price for 250 users

on request

  • Microsoft® publishes no list price for Exchange Server® SE. Required are a server licence (Standard up to 5, Enterprise up to 100 mailbox databases) and 250 CALs, each with active Software Assurance, or matching cloud subscriptions per user; plus Windows Server® licences.
  • The price comes from the Microsoft® partner under a volume licensing agreement. Outlook® (MAPI over HTTP), EWS and ActiveSync® are included.

Sources: microsoft.com (Exchange Server-Lizenzierung) · support.microsoft.com (Exchange SE) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to grommunio

Basic / Plus / Business

Where grommunio is better

  • MAPI over HTTP and EWS with the full Exchange® feature set and long field experience. nextxch offers MAPI over HTTP and EWS with Enterprise but does not yet cover every Exchange® special feature.
  • Public folders, shared mailboxes and LDAP integration as known from the Exchange® world.
  • Mobile device management with remote wipe, encryption and password policies; nextxch has no remote wipe.
  • More than mail: chat, video conferencing (Meet), files with versioning and online office (OnlyOffice) from one source.
  • Certified partner network for sales, operations and hosting; multi-tenancy with delegated administration.

Where nextxch is better

  • Also runs as a native Windows® Service, with Microsoft® SQL Server® or PostgreSQL®; grommunio runs on Linux.
  • JMAP, active-active clustering and a GoBD WORM archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search without further add-ons.
  • Public direct price: Enterprise with MAPI over HTTP and EWS €900 instead of €5,970 to €16,470 per year for 250 mailboxes.
  • Free up to 6 mailboxes (Free tier, without the Microsoft protocols); the grommunio Community edition (up to 5 users) has no vendor support.

Price for 250 users

€5,970 to €16,470 / year

  • List prices €1.99 (Basic), €3.99 (Plus) or €5.49 (Business, from 50 users) per user per month, calculated for 12 months: €5,970, €11,970 or €16,470 per year.
  • All features in every plan; plans differ in support. Available only via certified partners; Enterprise from 1,000 users on request.

Sources: grommunio.com/pricing · grommunio.com/features · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Axigen

Business Core / Business Complete

Where Axigen is better

  • On the market for many years, with a mature HTML5 webmail and a dedicated mobile webmail.
  • Outlook® for Windows usable today via the Axigen Outlook Connector (add-in, Outlook® 2010 to 365).
  • Business Complete includes 24x7 support and Bitdefender as a commercial anti-spam and antivirus engine.
  • ISP edition with clustering, front-end/back-end architecture and Kubernetes® deployment; online backup with full or partial restore.

Where nextxch is better

  • Anti-spam and ClamAV already in Free; ActiveSync®-compatible push*, EWS and MAPI over HTTP together in Enterprise. With Axigen Business, ActiveSync® and antivirus are add-ons or part of Business Complete.
  • Enterprise: €900 instead of €4,497.57 per year for 250 mailboxes.
  • JMAP, active-active clustering from Business and a GoBD WORM archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search.
  • Microsoft® SQL Server® or PostgreSQL® as database.

Price for 250 users

€4,497.57 / year (Complete)

  • Business Complete: €4,497.57 per year for 250 users (renewal from year 2: €4,497.57), with maintenance and 24x7 support, AntiVirus & AntiSpam (Bitdefender) and Exchange ActiveSync®.
  • Alternatively Business Core €2,398.55 + ActiveSync® €1,443.75 + AntiVirus & AntiSpam €866.25 per year.

Sources: axigen.com/buy/business · axigen.com (Funktionen) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to MailEnable

Enterprise Premium

Where MailEnable is better

  • Perpetual per-server licence for unlimited mailboxes and domains; the Standard edition is free.
  • Outlook® for Windows today via the MAPI Connector (Premium: no mailbox limit) and public folders.
  • XMPP chat and video chat in webmail.
  • Widely used by Windows® hosters for many years.

Where nextxch is better

  • Runs on Linux, in Docker® and Kubernetes® besides Windows®; MailEnable runs on Windows Server® only.
  • ActiveSync®-compatible push*, EWS and MAPI over HTTP together in Enterprise; with MailEnable ActiveSync® is a separate yearly licence per mailbox.
  • JMAP, OpenTelemetry, active-active clustering and a GoBD WORM archive.

Price for 250 users

US$1,295 one-time + US$1,198 / year ActiveSync®

  • US$1,295 one-time (per-server licence, unlimited domains and mailboxes, MAPI Connector, 12 months upgrade protection, Bronze support) + US$1,198 per year for ActiveSync® (tier up to 300 mailboxes).
  • Over 5 years with ActiveSync®: US$7,285 plus upgrade protection renewal (price on request); nextxch Enterprise with ActiveSync®: €4,500.

Sources: mailenable.com/pricing.asp · mailenable.com (Funktionen) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to IceWarp

Server (self-hosted) / Cloud

Where IceWarp is better

  • Complete collaboration platform: TeamChat, documents with versioning, WebRTC conferencing (up to 500 participants, webinars up to 5,000) and file storage.
  • Own mobile app and desktop client; EAS 16.1.
  • AD/LDAP, Kerberos, multi-node operation and multi-tenancy, plus its own cloud offering.
  • Anti-Spam LIVE (outbreak protection), SpamAssassin, IP reputation and built-in antivirus.

Where nextxch is better

  • Public list price for self-hosting (Business from €2.40, Enterprise with ActiveSync® from €4.80 per mailbox per year); IceWarp quotes self-hosted prices only via sales.
  • JMAP and the whole server in Docker®; with IceWarp, Docker® is only listed for full-text search.
  • PostgreSQL® or MS SQL Server® without restriction, GoBD archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search.

Price for 250 users

on request (cloud: €6,750 / year)

  • Self-hosted: price on request only.
  • For reference, the public cloud prices: Essential (with EAS) €2.25 per user per month billed annually, i.e. €6,750 per year for 250 users (incl. hosting).

Sources: icewarp.com/pricing · icewarp.com (Technische Spezifikation) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to SmarterMail

Enterprise

Where SmarterMail is better

  • MAPI and EWS for Outlook® on Windows and Mac proven in the field for years (add-on); in nextxch available only since version 1.4.
  • Chat, online meetings and file storage in webmail, plus marketplace integrations (e.g. Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, ownCloud, Rocket.Chat).
  • Perpetual licence: without MAPI/EWS and EAS US$1,200 for 250 mailboxes; maintenance from year 2 optional.
  • Optional commercial filters (Cyren, Message Sniffer) and hub-and-node high availability.

Where nextxch is better

  • ActiveSync®-compatible push*, EWS, MAPI over HTTP and active-active clustering together in Enterprise; with SmarterMail, EAS and MAPI/EWS are add-ons and HA is a separate monthly plan.
  • Enterprise: €900 per year versus US$3,075 in the first year for 250 mailboxes (with MAPI/EWS and EAS).
  • JMAP and a GoBD WORM archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search.

Price for 250 users

US$3,075 in year 1 (with MAPI/EWS and EAS)

  • US$3,075 in the first year: US$1,200 licence (250 mailboxes) + US$450 MAPI/EWS + US$1,425 EAS, each with 12 months maintenance.
  • From year 2, maintenance at 50% of the new price; EAS and optional Cyren filters only with yearly renewal.

Sources: smartertools.com/smartermail/pricing · smartertools.com (Funktionen) · KB a506 (Wartung) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Kerio Connect

GFI

Where Kerio Connect is better

  • EWS for Outlook® for Mac and Apple Mail and the Kerio Outlook Connector for Windows are available today.
  • Remote wipe of mobile devices by the admin; built-in chat with XMPP support.
  • Also runs on macOS®; automatic backup with granular restore.
  • Partner-hosted cloud option and an established GFI partner network.

Where nextxch is better

  • Public list price (Enterprise with EWS, ActiveSync® and MAPI over HTTP from €4.80 per mailbox per year, free up to 6 mailboxes with Free); Kerio Connect only via partners on request.
  • JMAP, active-active clustering (from Business), Docker® and Kubernetes®.
  • GoBD WORM archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search.

Price for 250 users

on request

  • GFI publishes no list price; a certified GFI partner prepares the quote.

Sources: gfi.ai (Kerio Connect) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to MDaemon

Email Server

Where MDaemon is better

  • Long-standing Windows® mail server with webmail, groupware and public prices in the purchase configurator.
  • Outlook® for Windows today via the MDaemon Connector for Outlook (add-in).
  • Modular licence: if you only need server and ActiveSync®, you pay US$1,897 per year.

Where nextxch is better

  • Anti-spam and ClamAV already in Free, ActiveSync®-compatible push*, EWS and MAPI over HTTP together in Enterprise; with MDaemon separate annual licences.
  • Enterprise: €900 instead of US$4,108 per year for 250 mailboxes (with ActiveSync®, connector and AntiVirus).
  • Also runs on Linux and in Docker®, with JMAP, active-active clustering and a GoBD archive.

Price for 250 users

US$4,108 / year (with EAS, connector, AV)

  • New licence with a 1-year term for 250 users: server US$1,438, MDaemon ActiveSync US$459, MDaemon Connector for Outlook US$1,400, MDaemon AntiVirus US$811, together US$4,108.
  • Server and ActiveSync® only: US$1,897 per year. No EWS access is listed.

Sources: mdaemon.com (Kaufkonfigurator) · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Zimbra

Daffodil (v10) Professional

Where Zimbra is better

  • Backup and restore as well as Zimbra Office (documents) in both editions.
  • Professional: mobile device policy management, archiving & discovery with litigation hold, and the Zimbra Connector for Outlook for Outlook® for Windows.
  • EWS interoperability (with a separate licence) available today.

Where nextxch is better

  • ActiveSync®-compatible push* and EWS come together in Enterprise; with Zimbra ActiveSync® is Professional only, and EWS costs extra.
  • Public price (Business from €2.40, Enterprise from €4.80 per mailbox per year) instead of a quote.
  • Also runs on Windows®; JMAP and a GoBD WORM archive with OCR and ZUGFeRD search.

Price for 250 users

on request

  • Zimbra publishes no list price and refers to a quote.

Sources: zimbra.com/product/edition-comparison · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Zextras Carbonio

Community / Email / Workspace

Where Zextras Carbonio is better

  • Workspace edition with video meetings (recording, external participants) and collaborative editing of documents, spreadsheets and presentations.
  • Backup, storage tiering (HSM) and object storage in the commercial editions; MDM as an add-on.
  • Free Community edition to get started.

Where nextxch is better

  • ActiveSync®-compatible push*, EWS and MAPI over HTTP in Enterprise at a public list price; the Carbonio Community edition lacks ActiveSync® and Outlook® sync.
  • Public price instead of a quote; also runs on Windows® and with MS SQL Server®.
  • JMAP, CalDAV/CardDAV and a GoBD WORM archive.

Price for 250 users

on request

  • Zextras publishes no prices for the commercial Email and Workspace editions.

Sources: zextras.com/editions · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to tine Groupware

Business Edition (on-premises)

Where tine Groupware is better

  • Broader groupware application with files and time tracking, developed in Hamburg.
  • Subscription with updates and vendor support included.

Where nextxch is better

  • nextxch is also the mail server (SMTP, IMAP, JMAP, anti-spam, ClamAV); tine needs a separate mail server for mail transport.
  • CardDAV, native Windows® Service and a GoBD WORM archive.
  • €450 (Business) or €900 (Enterprise with ActiveSync®) instead of €5,800 per year for 250 mailboxes.

Price for 250 users

€5,800 / year

  • 250-user pack with a 1-year term €5,800, with a 3-year term €14,790; per price list of December 2024 (no VAT statement).

Sources: tine-groupware.de/produkte · tine-groupware.de/technik · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to SOGo / Horde Groupware

Open source

Where SOGo / Horde Groupware is better

  • Open source without licence fees, with a large community and many years of real-world use.
  • Builds on existing Postfix/Dovecot installations; every component is replaceable.
  • ActiveSync®, CalDAV and CardDAV in both products.

Where nextxch is better

  • Everything in one process: SMTP, IMAP, spam filter, antivirus, groupware and archive with unified administration.
  • Vendor support, native Windows® Service and a GoBD WORM archive.

Price for 250 users

€0 licence

  • €0 licence; needs a separate mail server (IMAP/SMTP). Commercial support for SOGo: price on request.

Sources: sogo.nu · horde.org · As of: November 2026

nextxch compared to Postfix + Dovecot + Rspamd

Open source, with Roundcube / SOGo

Where Postfix + Dovecot + Rspamd is better

  • Free, open source and the de facto standard on Linux mail servers: huge installed base, documentation and community.
  • Extremely proven and flexible; Dovecot scales in very large installations, Rspamd is a strong spam filter.
  • Every component can be replaced individually and is mastered by many service providers.

Where nextxch is better

  • One process instead of many separate daemons, one UI for queues, logs, DKIM, rules and mailboxes.
  • Webmail with groupware out of the box, GoBD archive from Business, ActiveSync®-compatible push* with Enterprise, also as a Windows® Service.
  • Vendor support instead of self-integration.

Price for 250 users

€0 licence

  • €0 licence; effort for integrating, running and updating several components.

Sources: postfix.org · dovecot.org · rspamd.com · As of: November 2026

For the technically curious

Detailed comparison of modern features

nextxch, Stalwart Enterprise, Postfix + Dovecot + Rspamd and Exchange Online® in detail
Capability / Metric nextxch Stalwart Enterprise Postfix + Dovecot + Rspamd Exchange Online® (Plan 1) / Microsoft 365®
License price (per user account) Free up to 6 mailboxes; Business from €2.40, Enterprise with ActiveSync®/EWS/MAPI from €4.80 / mailbox / year (volume pricing for all mailboxes) €2.00 / mailbox / year (25 to 499, lower tiers above; minimum 25; Community edition free) €0 (high DevOps effort) approx. €44.40 / yr (Exchange Online® Plan 1 incl. hosting · Microsoft 365® Std. ~€140.40)
Digital Sovereignty & Deployment 100% Self-Hosted (On-Prem, EU Cloud, Container) 100% Self-Hosted (On-Prem / Container) Linux® / multi-container US Cloud (CLOUD Act) or heavy Exchange® VM
JMAP (RFC 8620/8621) + IMAP4rev2 Both natively integrated, JMAP also for calendars, contacts and files (FileNode) Both natively integrated (No JMAP) (Proprietary Graph/MAPI)
Groupware: Calendar, Contacts, Notes & Tasks CalDAV & CardDAV + IMAP Notes & Tasks + GAL; Mobile Push Sync (compatible with ActiveSync® clients)* with Enterprise CalDAV, CardDAV, WebDAV plus JMAP for Calendars and Contacts (for standard clients; ActiveSync® not listed on stalw.art) Requires separate SOGo / Nextcloud MAPI / Exchange® ActiveSync®
Scheduling: invitations, free/busy, rooms & resources Invitations with required/optional attendees, replies also by link, recurring series with exceptions, free/busy planning, rooms and resources (projectors, vehicles) Invitations (iMIP) and free/busy lookup; room and resource booking not listed on stalw.art Via SOGo / Nextcloud Yes (room mailboxes)
Booking pages & Teams meetings Booking pages like Calendly / Microsoft Bookings, Microsoft Teams meetings on events Not listed on stalw.art Bookings / Teams (depending on plan)
Shared calendars, delegation (send as / on behalf of) Shared and global calendars with read/write rights, mailbox delegation with send as and send on behalf of Granular ACLs, sharing via WebDAV ACL and JMAP Sharing IMAP ACL, calendars via SOGo
S/MIME & OpenPGP Sign and encrypt directly in webmail Per-mailbox encryption with the user's S/MIME certificate or OpenPGP key Mail client only S/MIME in Outlook®
Mobile: ActiveSync®-compatible & own iOS and Android apps IMAP and CalDAV/CardDAV in every tier; push via ActiveSync® on iPhone, Android and Outlook for iOS/Android with Enterprise; own nextxch apps coming soon to the App Store and Google Play Standard clients via IMAP, CalDAV/CardDAV and auto-discovery; own apps not listed on stalw.art Separate Z-Push Outlook® app
Built-in Webmail PWA + 15 Color Themes Included (Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Tasks & WebPush) No built-in webmail listed on stalw.art Separate Roundcube / SOGo Outlook® Web
Windows® .msi Service Wizard, .deb & 1-Line Setup Windows® .msi Wizard + .deb + install.sh/.ps1 + OCI v1.0.0 Container & script (no interactive Windows® .msi Wizard) No native Windows® Service Cloud portal or multi-hour ISO setup
Database Engines (incl. Microsoft® SQL Server®) SQLite WAL + PostgreSQL® 18 + Microsoft® SQL Server® (2019–2025, Express & Azure® SQL) RocksDB / PostgreSQL® / SQLite (no Microsoft® SQL Server®) MySQL / PostgreSQL® ESE / Cloud
Active-Active Kubernetes® & Multi-Node Cluster PostgreSQL® 18 or MS SQL Server® + S3 (zero Redis) + Helm v3 + PROXY v2 Peer coordination & distributed store Manual Dovecot Director + Redis DAG / Cloud
GoBD WORM Archive, Procedural Docs, OCR & ZUGFeRD From Business: S3 WORM, Auditor role, ZUGFeRD/OCR & Procedural Docs export (IDW PS 880 in prep.) Retention & full-text (no ZUGFeRD / GoBD generator) 3rd-party archive required Costly Purview / E5 add-on (no ZUGFeRD)
Typical RAM Footprint (250 mailboxes, open methodology) ~95–175 MB incl. Webmail & DAV (run-benchmark.sh) ~130–230 MB core (~310–650 MB w/ external Webmail) 2.600 MB bis 4.200 MB RAM 8.192 MB bis 16.384+ MB RAM
Encrypted File Share (secure file transfer up to 50 MB, audit certificate) Built into Webmail: AES-256-GCM, password, personal links, upload requests & PDF audit Not included Not included Requires add-on product
Protocol logging (inbound/outbound SMTP dialogue, IMAP, logins) & delisting report Switchable per category, live viewer, analysis by IP/address/domain/provider, delisting export Logs & tracing (no delisting report) Text logs per protocol (no analysis UI) Syslog spread across separate daemons Message trace (no raw SMTP dialogue)
Statistics, login history, sessions & auto-logout Per account, domain & server, devices/IP with country flag, sign out per device Metrics & telemetry No statistics UI Only with extra tools (e.g. pflogsumm) Admin center reports & Entra ID sign-in logs
Phishing protection, sending-service detection & self-service unblock Brand/link heuristics, phishing check & reporting in webmail, 69 sending services, IP unblock requests Spam filter rules (no webmail check) External spam filters only Rspamd modules (no webmail integration) Baseline protection, extended via Defender for Office 365®
Source-Code Escrow & Security Process (RFC 9116) German Escrow option + Enterprise SLA from 10,000 accounts (RFC 9116 security process included) AGPL core + proprietary Enterprise crates Open Source Proprietary cloud SLA

* Legal interoperability notice: The optional WBXML Mobile Push interface (configurable via ActiveSync:Enabled) is an independent clean-room implementation by iqmeta GmbH based on publicly documented interoperability specifications ([MS-ASHTTP]/[MS-ASCMD]/[MS-ASWBXML]) for connecting compatible client devices. ActiveSync®, EWS, MAPI over HTTP and Autodiscover are unlocked only with a signed Enterprise or trial key, because of Microsoft®'s licence terms for these protocols; both are available on request with a separate licence agreement for these protocols. Microsoft®, Exchange®, Exchange Online®, Exchange Server®, ActiveSync®, Outlook®, Microsoft 365®, Windows®, Windows Server®, SQL Server®, Apple®, iPhone®, and macOS® are registered trademarks of their respective owners. nextxch is neither affiliated with nor endorsed, licensed, or certified by these companies.

Sources, retrieved on 1 and 2 November 2026: the vendor pages linked per product, plus axigen.com/buy/business (configurator, 250 users, EUR), mailenable.com/pricing.asp, icewarp.com/pricing, smartertools.com/smartermail/pricing and portal.smartertools.com (KB a498, a506, a3518), progress.com/imailserver (redirect, lifecycle date per Progress announcement of 2022), gfi.ai/kerioconnect, stalw.art/pricing and stalw.art/compare, microsoft.com (Exchange Server licensing, Exchange Online plans), learn.microsoft.com (Exchange Server SE), grommunio.com/pricing and /features, zimbra.com/product/edition-comparison, mdaemon.com (purchase configurator: new licence, 1 year, 250 users), tine-groupware.de/produkte and the Business Edition price list linked there (12/2024), zextras.com/editions, sogo.nu, horde.org. grommunio and IceWarp cloud annual prices calculated from the monthly prices x 12. US$ prices shown without conversion, all prices net excluding VAT. "Not listed" means: not listed on the vendor's pages; "Not verified" means: we could not check it. No liability for vendor details; the vendor's own quote is authoritative. Axigen, MailEnable, IceWarp, SmarterMail, Kerio, Kerio Connect, GFI, Stalwart, grommunio, Zimbra, MDaemon, tine, Zextras, Carbonio, SOGo, Horde, hMailServer, Postfix, Dovecot and Rspamd are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners; nextxch is not affiliated with these companies.