IONOS Hosted Exchange alternative
The alternative to IONOS Hosted Exchange.
IONOS runs Microsoft Exchange as a hosted service. Conbool Mail is its own mailbox service with open protocols, with plans starting at the kiosk mailbox and security modules in the same portal.
- Technology
- Own mailbox service instead of Exchange
- Plans
- Kiosk, Plan 1, Plan 2
- Price
- From €1.29 per mailbox per month, net
Conbool Mail and IONOS Hosted Exchange compared.
| Feature | Conbool Mail | IONOS Hosted Exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Technology | Own mailbox service with IMAP, SMTP, ActiveSync, CalDAV and CardDAV | Microsoft Exchange, run by the hoster |
| Mailbox | 5, 50 or 100 GB depending on plan | 50 GB in the Exchange plan |
| Outlook for Windows | Email via IMAP, calendar in webmail | As a Microsoft Exchange account |
| Smartphone | Exchange ActiveSync in every plan | Real-time synchronisation on all devices according to IONOS |
| Archiving | Online archive from Plan 1, tamper-proof in Plan 2 | As a separate IONOS product |
| Operation | Data centres in Germany or your own data centre | The provider's data centres in Germany |
| Price | From €1.29 per mailbox per month, net | See the IONOS price list |
Details on IONOS Hosted Exchange according to the provider's public information, as of October 2026. Plans change, the provider's own information is authoritative. All names mentioned are trademarks of their owners.
IONOS Hosted Exchange fits when
- you need a mailbox on Microsoft Exchange.
- you use features that only exist with Microsoft Exchange.
- domain, web hosting and mailbox should come from the same provider.
Conbool Mail fits when
- you want to manage mailbox, spam protection, encryption, signatures and archive in one portal.
- part of the workforce only needs webmail and smartphone, so a kiosk mailbox is enough.
- the mailboxes should optionally run in your own data centre.
Switching from IONOS to Conbool Mail.
Mailboxes move via IMAP, one by one or as a list from a CSV file. The domain can stay with IONOS, only the DNS records for email change.
Questions about the IONOS Hosted Exchange alternative
Is Conbool Mail a Hosted Exchange like at IONOS?
No. Conbool Mail is its own mailbox service with open protocols. The plans match those of Exchange Online in scope, the server is not Microsoft Exchange.
Can the domain stay with IONOS?
Yes. The domain stays with the current provider. You only switch the DNS records for email to Conbool Mail there.
What does Conbool Mail cost compared with IONOS?
Conbool Mail costs €1.29 for Kiosk, €2.99 for Plan 1 and €5.49 for Plan 2 per mailbox per month, net. IONOS prices are listed in the provider's price list.
Does Outlook work with Conbool Mail?
Yes, for email via IMAP and SMTP. Calendar and contacts are available in webmail, on smartphones via ActiveSync and in clients with CalDAV and CardDAV.
Go through the switch with your mailboxes.
We show you Conbool Mail and plan the migration with you.