Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Kerio Connect VS hMail Server

Compare Kerio Connect VS hMail Server and see what are their differences

Kerio Connect logo Kerio Connect

KerioConnect is a commercial mail and groupware server.

hMail Server logo hMail Server

hMailServer is a free e-mail server for Microsoft Windows.
  • Kerio Connect Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-21
  • hMail Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-22

Kerio Connect features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Support
    Kerio Connect supports various operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it versatile for different IT environments.
  • Ease of Setup
    The installation and setup process is straightforward and user-friendly, minimizing the time and effort required to get the system running.
  • Integrated Security Features
    Comes with built-in antivirus, anti-spam, and anti-phishing protection, enhancing the overall security of email communications.
  • Mobile Device Support
    Supports ActiveSync, making it easy for users to synchronize emails, contacts, and calendars on their mobile devices.
  • Cost-effective
    Offers a budget-friendly alternative to more expensive email servers like Microsoft Exchange, making it suitable for small to medium-sized businesses.
  • Rich Feature Set
    Includes features such as shared calendars, contacts, and public folders, enhancing collaboration within teams.

Possible disadvantages of Kerio Connect

  • Limited Scalability
    Kerio Connect is best suited for small to medium-sized businesses and might not scale well for larger organizations with more extensive needs.
  • Third-party Integrations
    While Kerio Connect does offer several integrations, it may not be as extensive as other platforms in terms of third-party app compatibility.
  • Performance
    In environments with a heavy load of users and emails, Kerio Connect may experience performance issues compared to more robust solutions like Microsoft Exchange.
  • Backup and Recovery
    Although it provides basic backup options, more advanced backup and disaster recovery solutions may require additional third-party tools.
  • User Interface
    The user interface, while functional, might not be as polished or modern-looking as some other email server solutions.

hMail Server features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    hMailServer is completely free to use, which makes it an attractive option for small businesses and organizations with limited budgets. It also has a source code available for customization.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    It is compatible with Windows operating systems, making it suitable for a variety of deployment environments, especially those already running on Windows.
  • Wide Protocol Support
    hMailServer supports various protocols like SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, which cover most of the functionalities required for email servers.
  • Built-in Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus
    The server includes robust anti-spam and anti-virus features that help in reducing unwanted emails and protecting against malicious attacks.
  • Administrator-Friendly
    It has an intuitive web-based administration interface that simplifies server management tasks, from user settings to email rules and more.

Possible disadvantages of hMail Server

  • Platform Limitation
    hMailServer is designed specifically for Windows, which limits its usability for organizations that prefer or exclusively use Unix/Linux-based systems.
  • Limited Scalability
    While adequate for small to medium-sized deployments, hMailServer may not be as scalable as some enterprise-level mail servers, potentially limiting its use for very large organizations.
  • Community Support
    Support primarily comes from the community via forums. There is no dedicated customer support team, which could be a constraint in urgent or complex troubleshooting scenarios.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    Though feature-rich, some advanced functionalities like detailed logging and backup may require additional external tools or scripts, complicating the setup.
  • Periodic Updates
    The frequency of updates and patches may not be as regular as those for commercial products, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities if the software is not monitored closely.

Analysis of hMail Server

Overall verdict

  • hMailServer is a good choice for certain use cases.

Why this product is good

  • hMailServer is a reliable and free email server for Windows that provides essential features such as support for IMAP, SMTP, and POP3. It is open-source, which allows for community-driven improvements and transparency. The server is lightweight, and it is suitable for small to medium-sized businesses or individuals looking for an adequate email server solution without high resource demands. Additionally, it has built-in anti-spam features, integration with ClamWin or other anti-virus software, and a flexible scripting interface using VBScript.

Recommended for

    hMailServer is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses, tech-savvy individuals, or developers who are looking for an easy-to-manage, open-source email server solution on Windows. It's ideal for users who need a simple setup without the complexity and cost associated with larger, enterprise-level servers.

Kerio Connect videos

Kerio Connect

More videos:

  • Review - Что нового в Kerio Connect 9.2
  • Review - Share Contacts With GetSync'd Hosted Kerio Connect

hMail Server videos

No hMail Server videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Kerio Connect and hMail Server)
Project Management
100 100%
0% 0
Email
38 38%
62% 62
Team Collaboration
100 100%
0% 0
SMTP Server
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Kerio Connect and hMail Server. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Kerio Connect and hMail Server

Kerio Connect Reviews

10 Microsoft Exchange Server Alternatives
Kerio Connect is a software that helps the user to make his email, contacts, calendars, and task management more easily at an affordable price. With this platform, the user has secure and immediate access to the communication system instantly at any time, anywhere, on any device around the globe without the complex overhead. Users are also allowed to choose a basic free...
Overview of 5 Best Microsoft Exchange Server Alternatives
Kerio Connect is a great alternative suite that offers business-level email service, calendar applications, instant messaging, etc. For the deployment options, companies can choose between on-prem deployment or partner-hosted cloud-based systems, while the entire installation and deployment are done extremely quickly.
Source: jatheon.com
6 Contenders for Best Microsoft Exchange Alternative
Recently acquired by GFI Software, Kerio Connect is a software suite featuring business email, instant messaging, calendar applications and more. Users have their choice of on-premises deployment or partner-hosted cloud environment and, according to the GFI website, Kerio Connect takes as little as 10 minutes to install and deploy. Kerio Connect offers many of the same...

hMail Server Reviews

We have no reviews of hMail Server yet.
Be the first one to post

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Kerio Connect and hMail Server, you can also consider the following products

Airtable - Airtable works like a spreadsheet but gives you the power of a database to organize anything. Sign up for free.

iRedMail - A fully fledged, free email server solution, an open source project (GPL v2).

Creativity 365 - Cross-device content creation suite

Zimbra - Zimbra is trusted by over 500 million users to increase productivity with a complete set of collaboration tools while maintaining total control over security and privacy.

Microsoft Teams - Microsoft Teams provides the enterprise-level security, compliance and management features you expect from Office 365, including broad support for compliance standards, and eDiscovery and legal hold for channels, chats, and files.

mailcow - An open source mailserver suite.