Any good Exchange clients to replace Outlook?

windows microsoft-outlook exchange

31,087

Solution 1

I think you can use just about any mail clients to connect to Exchange and utilize POP3 or IMAP, but I don't know if you would get the full array of Exchange features.

Solution 2

Exchange provides IMAP access to a nice client, Mozilla Thunderbird. It even has a calendar plugin, lightning (not directly usable with exchange).

Solution 3

You can connect to Exchange using POP and IMAP, so therefore you can use any mail client. I use Apple Mail on my Mac personally and still use Outlook on Windows, but I also use Thunderbird on occasion.

If you want something completely free and have access to Exchange from the outside you can also use Outlook Web Access.

Solution 4

You could go for Gmail and POP into your Exchange server. ;)

Solution 5

Evolution (for GNOME) works very well with Exchange.

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31,087

Richard Morgan

Updated on September 17, 2022

Comments

Richard Morgan over 1 year

Is there a lightweight desktop application to connect to an Exchange server to just get mail? Ideally, the app would be free.

I am looking to replace Outlook for something that loads quicker and takes up less memory, etc.
Daniel A. White almost 15 years

Exchange only has IMAP and it has to be turned on.
BinaryMisfit almost 15 years

@Daniel Since When? I have used Exchange for years both for POP3 and IMAP? We are even using it at work in testing on the Exchange 2010 Beta's?
Jason S almost 15 years

I've tried Thunderbird before, but our company mailserver seems to use some evil Microsoft-specific protocol for doing something that Thunderbird can't seem to handle.
Jon Tackabury almost 15 years

POP and IMAP have to be enabled by your system administrator, and I've worked at more than 1 company where they are both disabled. Outlook uses something different to connect, and sometimes that is the only thing allowed. :(
gimel almost 15 years

You can enable IMAP and SMTP on exchange - convincing the administration is a social task.
BinaryMisfit almost 15 years

@Jon Agreed. However it can be done and with good motivation some administrators will allow it.
Steve Melnikoff almost 15 years

Now that would be excellent! I can't stand Outlook!
prestomation over 14 years

@Daniel By default exchange only does its native MAPI, but it will certainly do both POP3 and IMAP, but you admin has to configure it.
Lee B over 14 years

@Jason S: Evolution can do appointment/calendar handling with exchange, even over a standard IMAP connection, if that's what you're after. There's a separate Exchange connection method which takes an OWA URL; I haven't managed to get that working yet though. The Microsoft-specific protocol you're talking about is MAPI, as far as I know. Evolution has a separate, newer MAPI plugin for exchange, too. That crashed badly for me, but it's still experimental, so give it some time.
Lee B over 14 years

OWA, in Exchange 2003 at least, is pretty horrible for anyone who really needs to manage their email folders, read state, search old emails, etc.
rodey over 14 years

If it makes you feel any better, I used to work for a company that used OWA 2003 exclusively. Everyone. Not kidding.
Linker3000 about 13 years

Ugh - have you actually used it - very buggy.
Justin Dearing about 13 years

No. That explains why it has not been updated.