mailbox vs Zimbra (2026): which should you pick?

mailbox

• People who want paid, ad-free email hosted in Germany
• PGP or S/MIME users who want encryption inside webmail
• Families: up to 10 mailboxes can share calendars, contacts and Drive storage
• Small businesses wanting mail, files and video calls from one European provider

Zimbra

• Companies and schools that need to keep email on servers they control
• Hosting providers offering white-labeled email to customers
• Teams moving off Microsoft Exchange who want Outlook compatibility

mailbox

• There is no free plan; any plan can be tried free for 30 days.
• The €1 Light plan is paid a year in advance and has 2 GB of mail storage, no Drive storage and support limited to contract questions.
• There are no mailbox apps of its own for mail: it runs in the browser or in other mail apps, and file sync on phones uses the separate OX Drive app.
• Prices are in euros. Private prices include VAT, business prices are net, and the business calculator adds a service package from €25 a month.

Zimbra

• Pricing is not published; Zimbra is licensed, and renewals go through an account manager.
• The FAQ calls the Open Source Edition end of life, with no updates or support.
• Features such as backup and restore, Zimbra Office and large-scale mobile sync need the commercial license.
• Chat and real-time collaboration are protected in transit only, not end-to-end encrypted.

mailbox

Webmail with IMAP, POP3 and SMTP

Mail is read in the browser or in any mail app over IMAP, POP3 and SMTP. Standard and Premium add a tabbed inbox, email statistics and collection from external POP3 accounts.

PGP and S/MIME encryption

The Guard feature handles PGP and S/MIME inside webmail, and incoming mail can be kept in a PGP-encrypted inbox. Mailvelope and mailbox's own PGP key server are supported on every plan.

Aliases and custom domains

Light includes 3 @mailbox.org aliases, Standard and Premium 25. The two higher plans add custom domains with 50 or 250 aliases and 25 or 50 disposable addresses.

Drive cloud storage

10 GB on Standard and 100 GB on Premium, expandable for a fee, with password-protected download links that expire, WebDAV access and optional encryption with your own PGP key.

Office, calendar and contacts

Text documents, spreadsheets and presentations are edited in the browser on Standard and Premium. Calendar, contacts and tasks are on every plan and sync over CalDAV and CardDAV.

Meet video conferencing

Browser-based video meetings with breakout rooms, screen sharing, chat and surveys. Guests join from an invitation link without an account or an install.

Zimbra

Mail, calendar and contacts

A web client with advanced and attachment search, personal and global address lists, group and resource scheduling, and tasks.

Two editions

Zimbra Daffodil (v10) needs a license, sold as Professional or Standard. Professional has additional features over Standard.

Desktop and mobile access

Zimbra Desktop for Windows, macOS and Linux, a Connector for Outlook on Windows, and ActiveSync on iOS and Android.

Standards-based clients

Works with IMAP, POP, CalDAV and CardDAV, so Thunderbird, Apple Mail and similar clients can connect.

Security and admin controls

Built-in anti-spam and antivirus, two-factor sign-in, LDAP or Active Directory, SAML sign-in and delegated administration.

Deployment options

Install on your own servers, run it in the cloud on AWS or OCI, or use a hosting partner, with multiple domains per install.

mailbox

• Light€1

  per month, annual payment only (€12 a year)

  2 GB of mail storage, 3 @mailbox.org aliases, calendar and address book. Support covers contract, credit balance and password reset questions only.

• Standard€3

  per month, paid annually (€36); €4 paid monthly

  20 GB of mail and 10 GB of Drive storage, 25 aliases, custom domains with 50 aliases, online document editing and family accounts.

• Premium€9

  per month, paid annually (€108); €12 paid monthly

  50 GB of mail and 100 GB of Drive storage, custom domains with 250 aliases, replies within 24 hours on business days and a phone callback service.

• Business€1 to €12

  per user / month, net, plus a service package

  Business Light, Standard and Premium accounts at €1, €4 and €12 a user, with a service package: Silver €25, Gold €75 or Platinum €250 a month.

• EnterpriseCustom

  For large companies with advanced requirements, quoted on request.

Zimbra

Pricing could not be confirmed. See zimbra.com.

mailbox

• Annual discount

  Save 25% when paying annually

  Standard costs €3 a month when paid annually (€36) against €4 paid monthly, and Premium €9 a month (€108) against €12. The prices page labels both as a 25% saving.

Zimbra

No public discounts listed.