Microsoft Exchange vs grommunio

The cost depends on which parts you already pay for and how many users you move, so no single figure applies to every organization. Software is the visible line item: the free Community package is limited to 5 users without manufacturer support, while paid licenses are sold only through certified partners, with grommunio's pricing page listing Basic at 1.99 euros and Plus at 3.99 euros per user per month from 6 users, Business at 5.49 euros from 50 users, and custom Enterprise pricing from 1,000 users. Other costs include server hardware or virtual machines, storage for mailboxes, backup, the migration project itself and internal staff time. Exchange costs that fall away or change include licensing for servers and client access. Ask any partner for a written quote that separates one-time migration work from recurring licenses, support and infrastructure.

Duration depends mainly on mailbox count, total mailbox size, the number of sites and how many cutover waves you plan. The exchange2grommunio script exports each mailbox to PST and imports it over SSH, and it logs successes and failures so a run can resume after an error, which shortens recovery from failed batches. Preparation work also takes time: confirming that grommunio uses the same LDAP or Active Directory as Exchange, building the shared folder, testing a pilot group and agreeing on how Outlook profiles are reconfigured. Ask for a timeline in the written scope that lists each wave, the test cycle and the rollback point, and confirm the mailbox count and sizes before you accept it.

A capable Linux or systems team can operate grommunio after it is installed, because the server is documented for administrators and ships as an appliance on openSUSE with ISO or OVA images and a setup wizard. The harder part is the first deployment and the migration, which touch Exchange administration, Active Directory, PST export, mail routing, DNS, certificates and client configuration at the same time. Consider whether your team has these skills in-house, whether it can absorb the work alongside daily duties, and who handles upgrades and security patches afterward. Note that paid grommunio subscriptions are sold through certified partners, so partner support may also be a licensing question. A fixed-scope engagement with a named handover is one way to close the gap.

The identity team is central because the migration script requires grommunio to use the same LDAP or Active Directory as Exchange. Before any export, they need to confirm that user objects, group membership, mail attributes and naming match what grommunio will read, and that service accounts for the migration have the rights they need. They also decide how password changes, account disablement and group-based access will behave after cutover. Plan for a controlled window in which directory changes are frozen, and confirm the exact directory requirements in the grommunio migration documentation before scoping the work.

Outlook can keep working because grommunio's Gromox server implements RPC/HTTP (Outlook Anywhere), MAPI/HTTP and Exchange Web Services, and grommunio states that organizations can keep their existing Outlook clients. Mobile devices connect through grommunio-sync, which provides Exchange ActiveSync for native iOS and Android clients. In practice, you still need to test your Outlook versions, add-ins, autodiscover records, certificates and any third-party software that calls Exchange APIs. Build a pilot group of representative users and confirm each feature they rely on before moving the wider organization.

Shared calendars, delegate access and resource mailboxes are the features most likely to need manual checks, and their behavior should be confirmed in testing rather than assumed. The PST export carries mailbox contents, but permission models, calendar sharing and delegate rights are the areas where Outlook users notice differences first. Your pilot should cover a shared mailbox, a delegate who sends on behalf of another user, a meeting room booked from several clients and a calendar shared across departments. Record what works, what needs reconfiguration and who must re-share items after cutover, and include those steps in the written scope.

The free Community package covers up to 5 users and comes without manufacturer support, according to grommunio's pricing page. It is suited to evaluation, labs or very small teams that accept self-service troubleshooting. It does not provide the paid support, the commercial licensing that comes with Basic, Plus, Business or Enterprise plans, or the scale your organization may need. Larger deployments also depend on the paid tiers, which are sold through certified partners. Before relying on Community for production, confirm the feature set, update path and support terms directly with grommunio.

Ask for a written scope that names the mailbox count and total size, the directory integration plan, the client and device list, the pilot and cutover waves, the backup and rollback approach, and the handover to your team. DeployOpen plans, implements, integrates, hardens, backs up, upgrades, documents and supports self-hosted open-source platforms inside your own infrastructure, and most engagements are fixed-scope with deliverables and timelines agreed in writing before work starts. Ongoing support and upgrades are available as retainers. DeployOpen does not publish a price list, so a quote follows from that written scope.