Kopano vs Open-Xchange (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kopano grades higher than Open-Xchange: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Kopano grades higher on the free plan and platforms. Open-Xchange grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Kopano
Container-based business email and calendar for hosting providers
Free trial
Which one is for you
Pick Kopano if
- Fits if you are a hosting provider that wants to resell business mail
- Works for a managed-service company that already runs containers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are an individual buyer, as the site is written for partners
- Skip it if you want a price first, since access starts with a demo and a proof of concept
- Watch out: Kopano Groupware reached end of life in 2024 and was replaced by Kopano Cloud
Pick Open-Xchange if
- Fits if you are a hosting provider that wants a branded mail platform
- Works for a public body that wants to run mail on its own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are one person or a small team, as the site is aimed at providers and the public sector
- Skip it if you want a price before talking to someone
- Not for you if you want a free plan or a trial
- Watch out: the public-sector page says it's most often installed on-premise
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAKopanoFair | 1.8GPAOpen-XchangeWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo prices are published, so there's nothing to compare. | CNo prices are published, so there is nothing to compare. The site sends buyers to a demo. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free 30-day trial for up to ten users, through a demo environment. You go through a demo first. | FNothing free is listed. Buyers book a demo or contact sales. |
| Features | BWeb mail and calendar, Outlook and mobile connectivity, multi-tenant administration and branding. The listing shows no gap in the job. | BEmail, calendar, documents, drive, tasks, encryption and an AI agent, all in one suite, with nothing missing from the mail and calendar job. |
| Ease of use | DIt's a container deployment that a provider sets up, and the site is written for partners. | CNo store rating on record. A provider sets it up for you, and what you get depends on who that is. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Outlook, ActiveSync, IMAP, POP3, LDAP and Active Directory connections. | CWeb only on record, with Dovecot Pro, PowerDNS and openDesk as connections. No apps of its own listed. |
| Best for | business email and calendar for hosting providers | email platforms sold through providers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Kopano and Open-Xchange. How we grade
Where they differ
- Open-Xchange is open source, according to its own site.
- Kopano also covers tasks.
In commonWebSelf-hostableCalendarEmail client
At a glance
| Kopano | Open-Xchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free 30-day trial for up to ten users, through a demo environment | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | NHe4a GmbH | Open-Xchange |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Kopano
- No prices are published; access starts with a demo, a meeting and a proof of concept.
- The site is written for partners and managed service providers, not for individual buyers.
- The earlier Kopano Groupware product reached end of life in 2024 and was replaced by Kopano Cloud.
Open-Xchange
- No prices are published; the site directs buyers to book a demo or contact sales.
- The site markets to service providers and the public sector, not individuals or small teams.
- The public-sector page says it is most commonly deployed on-premise.
- OX App Suite is described as open source, but Dovecot Pro, a related product, is a commercial edition.
Key features
Kopano
- Web mail and calendar
- A browser client covers email, calendar, contacts and tasks, with out-of-office replies, mail filters, shared folders and free/busy scheduling.
- Outlook and mobile connectivity
- Outlook connects natively through autodiscover, phones and tablets use ActiveSync, and other clients can use IMAP, POP3 or EWS.
- Container deployment
- The stack ships as OCI (Docker) containers that are meant to be deployed and updated in the customer's own environment.
- Multi-tenant administration
- A multi-tenant design with a self-management interface for tenant admins, a REST API for automation and an agent for LDAP or Active Directory sync.
- Branding
- Central branding settings let a provider change colors in the web interface and optionally supply branded end-user documentation.
Open-Xchange
- Email and calendar
- A browser interface for email and calendar that the vendor says works the same on desktop, tablet and mobile.
- Documents, drive and tasks
- Text documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the browser, cloud storage tied to email, and personal and shared tasks.
- AI agent
- An integrated agent can write emails, schedule appointments, and search, summarize and organize messages, contacts and files.
- White-label for providers
- Service providers can brand the platform, bundle features and sell tiers, add-ons and upgrades to their own customers.
- Deployment choices
- Install on-premise, in a public cloud, or use the managed OX Cloud service.
- OX Guard encryption
- OX Guard provides encrypted email for sensitive communication, which the vendor pitches to regulated professions.
Plans
Kopano
Pricing could not be confirmed. See kopano.cloud.
Open-Xchange
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ox.io.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Kopano or Open-Xchange?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Kopano has no price we could confirm, and Open-Xchange has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Kopano or Open-Xchange?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Kopano nor Open-Xchange has a free plan. Kopano has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.