Email mailboxes
A separate mailbox can be set up for each user. Additionally, role mailboxes such as info@, support@ or sales@ are often useful.
Hosted Exchange Comparison UK 2026
Here you'll find suitable Hosted Exchange offers as a professional email solution for the UK. Also check out cost-effective alternatives if you only need email hosting with your own domain.
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Exchange Hosting Comparison
Exchange Hosting Providers Compared
Are you looking for a professional email and groupware solution for your business? With Exchange hosting you get email, calendars, contacts, tasks and team features based on Microsoft Exchange without having to operate your own Exchange Server. Compare suitable Managed Exchange providers here for freelancers, teams and businesses.
Simply explained
What is Exchange hosting?
Exchange hosting is a professional email and groupware solution where Microsoft Exchange does not run on an in-house server, but on the infrastructure of a hosting provider. The provider supplies the technical platform and, depending on the plan, takes care of operation, maintenance, updates, security and availability.
Users receive central mailboxes, calendars, contacts, tasks and shared collaboration features. Emails, appointments and contacts can be synchronised across multiple devices and accessed from the office, home office or on the go.
Exchange hosting is particularly attractive for businesses because it enables a powerful communication solution without having to build and continuously administer the complex infrastructure of your own Exchange Server.
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Professional email communication without your own server
With Exchange hosting you use central email mailboxes, calendars, contacts and team features while the provider operates the technical platform. This reduces administrative effort and provides a professional communications foundation.
Use cases
Who is Exchange hosting suitable for?
Exchange hosting is suitable for anyone who needs more than a simple e-mail mailbox. Especially in a business environment, central calendars, contacts, mobile synchronisation and team features are important advantages.
Self‑employed
Self‑employed professionals benefit from professional e-mail communication, synchronised calendars and access to important data from multiple devices.
Small businesses
Small businesses can centrally use mailboxes, shared calendars, contacts and mobile devices without having to run their own Exchange infrastructure.
Teams
Teams can coordinate appointments, use shared mailboxes, share contacts and better organise workflows.
Growing businesses
When new employees join, additional mailboxes and storage can be flexibly added depending on the provider.
Businesses with a mobile workforce
Exchange hosting enables access to e-mails, calendars and contacts from smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop PC.
Migration from an on‑premises Exchange server
Companies that have been running their own Exchange server can outsource maintenance, updates and hardware operation through Managed Exchange.
Advantages & Limitations
What advantages does Exchange hosting offer?
Exchange hosting provides the features of a professional mail and groupware system without businesses having to provide their own server hardware, install Exchange, manage security updates or run day-to-day operations.
Advantages of Exchange hosting
- professional email mailboxes for businesses
- centralised management of emails, calendars, contacts and tasks
- synchronisation across desktops, smartphones and tablets
- shared calendars and team features
- no on-premises Exchange server required
- updates, maintenance and infrastructure included depending on the provider
- scalable as staff numbers increase
- spam, phishing and virus protection included depending on the plan
What to watch out for
- mailbox sizes and storage limits vary significantly
- not every plan includes all Exchange features
- check backup and recovery options carefully
- data protection and server location are particularly important
- long contract terms can limit flexibility
- migration of existing mailboxes should be carefully planned
- support quality is crucial for business-critical email communications
Features
What features does Managed Exchange offer?
Managed Exchange extends classic email mailboxes with calendars, contacts, mobile synchronisation and collaboration features. The exact feature set depends on the provider and the plan.
Calendars
Calendar features help with scheduling, meetings, resource booking and team coordination. Shared calendars make organisation within the company easier.
Contacts
Contacts can be maintained centrally and, depending on permissions, used by the team. This simplifies consistent management of customer and business contacts.
Tasks & notes
Depending on the solution, tasks, reminders and notes can be managed. This turns Exchange into not just an email solution but an organisational platform.
Mobile synchronisation
Via ActiveSync or comparable synchronisation features, emails, calendars and contacts stay up to date across multiple devices.
Outlook Web Access
Via Outlook Web Access or Outlook on the web, users can access mailbox, calendar and contacts through the browser even without a locally installed mail client.
Spam and phishing protection
Good Exchange hosting packages include protection mechanisms against spam, phishing, suspicious attachments and malicious messages.
Backups & recovery
Automatic backups and recovery features are important in case emails, contacts or calendar data are accidentally deleted.
Terms explained
Important Exchange hosting terms, simply explained
When comparing Exchange hosting offers, various terms appear. The most important ones can be quickly categorised.
Microsoft Exchange
Microsoft Exchange is an email and groupware solution for mailboxes, calendars, contacts, tasks and collaboration.
Managed Exchange
Managed Exchange means the provider takes care of the operation, maintenance and technical management of the Exchange environment.
Mailbox
A mailbox is a user's personal email storage. It contains emails, calendars, contacts and other Exchange data.
ActiveSync
ActiveSync enables synchronisation of emails, calendars and contacts with mobile devices.
Outlook Web Access
Outlook Web Access provides access to Exchange features via the browser, without a local mail client.
Shared mailbox
Shared mailboxes are used for general addresses like info@, support@ or accounts@ and can be accessed by multiple people.
Autodiscover
Autodiscover simplifies the automatic setup of Exchange accounts in Outlook and on mobile devices.
Migration
Migration refers to moving existing emails, calendars and contacts from an old system to Exchange hosting.
Selection guide
Exchange hosting or standard mail hosting?
For simple email addresses, standard mail hosting is often sufficient. Exchange hosting is worthwhile when email, calendars, contacts and team features need to work together professionally.
Standard mail hosting is better when …
- you only need basic email mailboxes
- you have only a few users
- you do not need extensive groupware features
- you are looking for the most affordable email addresses
- you do not need to manage calendars and contacts centrally within a team
Exchange hosting is better when …
- you need professional email communication for your business
- you want calendars, contacts and mailboxes to be centrally available
- you require mobile synchronisation across multiple devices
- you want to use shared mailboxes or team features
- you want to use Outlook and Exchange features conveniently
Microsoft 365 is better when …
- you also need Office applications such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- you want to use Teams, OneDrive and other productivity tools
- you are looking for a complete Office and communications suite
- you want to manage many users centrally
- you work predominantly within the Microsoft ecosystem
A self-hosted Exchange Server is better when …
- you need maximum control over infrastructure and operations
- you have your own administrators and server resources
- you need to meet specific compliance or integration requirements
- you can manage operations, security and updates yourself
- you are prepared to allow for the greater effort involved
Alternatives
What alternatives to Microsoft Exchange are there?
Microsoft Exchange is widespread in business environments, but it is not the only solution for professional email, calendar and groupware functions. Depending on requirements for data protection, usability, cost, hosting model and system integration, alternatives such as Zimbra, Kerio Connect or Open-Xchange may also be of interest.
Groupware
Zimbra
Zimbra is a groupware solution for email, calendar, contacts, tasks and collaboration. It can be offered as a hosted solution or run on your own infrastructure depending on the provider. Zimbra is especially interesting for companies and organisations looking for an alternative to Microsoft Exchange that emphasises centralised communication, webmail and team features.
SMEs
Kerio Connect
Kerio Connect is aimed primarily at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that need a straightforward mail and groupware solution. The software provides email, calendar, contacts, tasks and mobile synchronisation. It can be a good choice when a leaner alternative to Exchange is sought.
Open Source & Hosting
Open-Xchange
Open-Xchange is a groupware and collaboration platform often provided by hosting providers as a professional email and office solution. In addition to email, calendar and contacts, depending on the package it also focuses on file management, collaboration and office functions. The solution is particularly suitable for providers, businesses and users seeking a flexible alternative to traditional Exchange offerings.
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Choose the Exchange alternative that fits your needs
Zimbra, Kerio Connect and Open-Xchange can each provide similar core functions such as email, calendar, contacts and mobile synchronisation depending on the provider. What matters, however, is which clients are supported, how well Outlook integration works, which security and backup features are included, and whether the solution fits the existing IT workflow.
Selection criteria
What should you consider when comparing Exchange hosting?
Exchange hosting is business-critical for many organisations. Therefore, in addition to price, you should compare mailbox size, security, support, backups, availability and scalability.
Number of mailboxes
Plan not only current employees, but also functional mailboxes for departments, support, accounting or sales.
Mailbox size
In business email communication, storage needs can grow quickly. Ensure sufficient storage per mailbox and straightforward scalability.
Mobile usage
If employees work on the go, reliable synchronisation, smartphone support and Outlook Web Access are particularly important.
Security
Check encryption, spam filtering, phishing protection, antivirus protection, two-factor authentication and the provider's security policies.
Backups
Automatic backups and restore options are important if emails are accidentally deleted or data needs to be recovered.
Data protection & location
For businesses, server location, data processing agreements, data protection policies and access controls are important criteria.
Support
Email is business-critical. Therefore support should be readily available and able to competently assist with setup, outages, migration or recovery.
Scalability
As the business grows, additional mailboxes, more storage or extra features should be easy to add.
Use cases
Typical use cases for Exchange hosting
Exchange hosting can be useful in many situations. It is particularly common where email communication needs to be organised reliably, centrally and for teams.
Teamwork
Shared calendars
Teams can coordinate appointments better, view availability and plan meetings more easily.
Support
Shared mailboxes
Addresses such as support@ or info@ can be managed by multiple people. This improves response times and overall oversight.
Mobility
Synchronised devices
Emails, calendars and contacts remain synchronised across smartphone, tablet, laptop and desktop as far as possible.
Migration
Migration of existing mailboxes
Many companies move from basic mail hosting or an in-house server to Managed Exchange to improve administration and availability.
Costs
How much does Exchange hosting cost?
The costs of Exchange hosting usually depend on the number of mailboxes, mailbox size, the feature set, security functions, backup services and the level of support. Providers often charge per user or per mailbox per month.
In addition to the monthly price, you should also consider setup fees, migration effort, additional storage options, archiving, backup recovery, support services and contract length.
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Don't just compare mailbox prices
A cheap Exchange mailbox may look attractive. For business use, however, storage, availability, security, backup, support and easy scalability are often more important than the lowest monthly price.
Recommendation
How to find the right Exchange hosting provider
The right provider should not only offer affordable mailboxes, but provide a reliable and secure communication platform. Particularly important are sufficient storage, easy administration, mobile synchronisation, spam and phishing protection, backups, data protection and accessible support.
For small businesses:
look for easy setup, sufficient storage, mobile synchronisation and good support.
For teams:
check shared calendars, functional mailboxes, contacts, permissions and collaboration.
For growing businesses:
compare scalability, backups, security, migration, data protection and contract terms.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Exchange hosting
What is Exchange hosting?
Exchange hosting is a hosted email and groupware solution based on Microsoft Exchange. The provider operates the technical platform while users access email, calendars, contacts and other features.
What is Managed Exchange?
Managed Exchange means the provider handles operation, maintenance, updates, security and technical administration of the Exchange environment.
Who is Exchange hosting suitable for?
Exchange hosting is suitable for freelancers, teams and companies that need professional email communication, calendars, contacts and mobile synchronisation.
What is the difference between Exchange hosting and regular mail hosting?
Regular mail hosting usually provides simple email mailboxes. Exchange hosting additionally offers centralised calendars, contacts, tasks, mobile synchronisation, Outlook integration and team features.
Can I use Exchange hosting with Outlook?
Yes, Exchange hosting is particularly closely integrated with Outlook. Many features such as calendars, contacts, mailboxes and synchronisation are conveniently available in Outlook.
What is Outlook Web Access?
Outlook Web Access, or Outlook on the web, enables access to emails, calendars and contacts directly via the browser.
What is ActiveSync?
ActiveSync is a technology for synchronising emails, calendars and contacts with mobile devices.
How important are backups for Exchange hosting?
Backups are very important because emails, calendars and contacts can be business-critical. Check how often backups are taken and how easily deleted data can be restored.
How much does Exchange hosting cost?
Costs depend on the number of mailboxes, storage, features, security, backups, support and the contract model. Pricing is often per user or per mailbox per month.
What should I consider when comparing Exchange hosting?
Important factors are mailbox size, number of users, mobile synchronisation, Outlook web access, spam and phishing protection, backups, data protection, server location, support, scalability and contract terms.
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