A Zoho Mail alternative from India: the same 5 GB mailbox for half the price, with the migration done for you
XgenPlus is an Indian alternative to Zoho Mail from Data Xgen Technologies, Jaipur. Both companies host in India, so the difference is not where the data lives. It is the price of mail-only plans once you pay (XGEN Starter Pro is ₹31 for 5 GB against Zoho Mail Lite at ₹59), IMAP, SMTP and ActiveSync on every plan including the cheapest, plans mixed on one domain so a sixth user costs ₹21 rather than an upgrade for everyone, migration off Zoho done by the XgenPlus team from the Premium plan, and two things Zoho does not offer: an Enterprise edition that installs on your own servers, and email addresses in Indian scripts. Customers include BSNL, the Government of Rajasthan and Bharat Petroleum.
Rated 4.7/5 on Capterra (9 verified reviews). Deployed at BSNL, NIXI, HAL and RISL, see the case studies.
- On-premise Enterprise edition, same product as the hosted service
- Email addresses in 22 Indian scripts
- Certificate authority built in, no external certificates to buy for S/MIME
- XGEN Starter Pro ₹31 for 5 GB against Zoho Mail Lite at ₹59
Zoho prices per user per month billed annually as published for India, checked August 2026, before GST. Zoho Workplace Standard, the full collaboration suite, is ₹99 a month; Mail Premium is ₹120 and Workplace Professional is ₹399.
Why teams leave Zoho Mail, and what changes on XgenPlus
The free plan ends at five users, and everyone upgrades together
Zoho Mail free covers 5 users on one domain, 5 GB each, webmail only: no IMAP, POP or ActiveSync, so Outlook and phone mail apps cannot connect. The sixth hire moves the whole organisation to a paid plan. On XgenPlus plans are mixed on one domain, so the sixth person is ₹21 a month and nobody else changes, and every plan includes IMAP and ActiveSync.
Mail-only costs more on Zoho once you pay, and the suite is the upsell
Zoho Mail Lite is ₹59 per user a month for 5 GB. XGEN Starter Pro is ₹31 for the same 5 GB, with Xgen Office online, chat and AI compose included, and XGEN Starter is ₹21 for 2 GB. Zoho Workplace Standard, the full suite with Writer, Sheet, Cliq and Meeting, is ₹99; XGEN Advance at the same 30 GB is ₹85 and renews at the same price.
The tender says on-premise, or the customer asks for an Indian-script address
State departments, PSUs, co-operative banks and their vendors are told to keep mail on servers they control. Zoho Mail runs only in Zoho data centres. XgenPlus Enterprise installs on your hardware or private cloud with archiving, LDAP and Active Directory, and mailboxes can carry addresses in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and other scripts, which Zoho does not list among its features.
Sources: zoho.com/en-in/workplace/pricing.html for India, checked September 2026 (Mail Lite ₹59, Workplace Standard ₹99, Mail Premium ₹120, Workplace Professional ₹399 per user per month billed annually); Zoho Mail published feature list, checked August 2026. XgenPlus plan details from the pricing page.
XgenPlus and Zoho Mail prices, side by side
| Plan | Per user / month | Mailbox | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| XGEN StarterXgenPlus | ₹21 | 2 GB | 10 MB attachments |
| XGEN Starter ProXgenPlus | ₹31 | 5 GB | 20 MB attachments |
| XGEN PremiumXgenPlus | ₹50 | 10 GB | 25 MB attachments |
| XGEN AdvanceXgenPlus | ₹85 | 30 GB | 50 MB attachments |
| XGEN Advance ProXgenPlus | ₹111 | 50 GB | 100 MB attachments |
| XGEN EnterpriseXgenPlus | ₹167 | 100 GB | 100 MB attachments |
| Zoho Mail LiteZoho Mail | ₹59 | 5 GB to 10 GB mail | |
| Zoho Workplace StandardZoho Mail | ₹99 | 30 GB mail | |
| Zoho Mail PremiumZoho Mail | ₹120 | 50 GB mail plus 50 GB retention | |
| Zoho Workplace ProfessionalZoho Mail | ₹399 | 100 GB mail |
Zoho prices per user per month billed annually as published for India, checked August 2026, before GST. XgenPlus prices are per user per month, billed annually, plus 18% GST. Every XgenPlus plan is on the pricing page.
At the same 5 GB, XGEN Starter Pro costs about half of Zoho Mail Lite. For a fuller suite at 30 GB, Zoho Workplace Standard and XGEN Advance are close in price; the difference there is the on-premise edition, IDN addresses and the built-in certificate authority. XgenPlus figures are yearly totals at the per-user monthly price; add 18% GST, which a registered business claims back.
XgenPlus and Zoho Mail, capability by capability
| Capability | XgenPlus | Zoho Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Email, contacts, calendar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mailbox storage | 2 GB to unlimited by plan | 5 GB to 100 GB by plan |
| Data hosted in India | ✓ | ✓ |
| Same product on your own servers | Enterprise, on-premise edition | ✗ |
| Email addresses in Indian scripts (IDN) | ✓ | Not in published features |
| Built-in certificate authority with CRL and OCSP | Enterprise, on-premise edition | External certificates only |
| S/MIME encryption and signing | From Advance Pro | ✓ |
| AI reply and compose | From Starter Pro | Zia |
| Docs, sheets, slides | Xgen Office online, from Starter Pro | Workplace plans |
| Chat | From Starter Pro | Cliq, Workplace plans |
| Audio and video meetings | From Premium | Meeting, Workplace plans |
| Archiving, litigation hold, eDiscovery | Enterprise, on-premise edition | Mail Premium and Workplace Professional |
| Face attendance and field staff tracking | From Advance | ✗ |
| HR and payroll integration | Enterprise, on request | Zoho People, separate product |
| GST tax invoice in rupees | ✓ | ✓ |
XgenPlus plan availability as on the pricing page. Zoho Mail capabilities as published by the provider on the dates in the sources above; check its current plans before you decide.
Moving mailboxes out of Zoho
- Share the domain and the list of users. If you use Zoho Docs or WorkDrive, tell us the volume so we size Xgen Office storage.
- Mailboxes are copied over IMAP and calendars over CalDAV with Zoho still live. Shared mailboxes and groups are recreated on XgenPlus first.
- MX and SPF records are updated at your registrar at the agreed time. Zoho receives nothing new from that point, and the copied history is already in place.
Premium and higher plans include the migration work; on Starter and Starter Pro you receive the written steps.
Zoho Mail alternative: what people ask
Is XgenPlus cheaper than Zoho Mail?
Yes. At the same 5 GB per mailbox, XGEN Starter Pro is ₹31 per user a month against ₹59 for Zoho Mail Lite. At 30 GB, XGEN Advance is ₹85 against ₹99 for Zoho Workplace Standard. Both are billed annually; XgenPlus adds 18% GST.
What does a 25-person team pay per year?
Zoho Mail Lite costs ₹17,700 a year for 25 users at ₹59 per user a month with 5 GB mailboxes. XGEN Starter Pro with the same 5 GB costs ₹9,300 plus GST. Zoho Workplace Standard costs ₹29,700 a year for 30 GB; XGEN Advance at the same storage costs ₹25,500 plus GST.
Why choose XgenPlus over Zoho if both are Indian?
The Enterprise edition runs on your own servers, mailboxes can have addresses in Indian scripts, and S/MIME certificates come from an authority built into the product instead of an external vendor. Zoho Mail supports S/MIME with certificates you buy elsewhere, runs only in Zoho data centres, and does not list IDN addresses among its features.
Can I move from Zoho Mail to XgenPlus?
Yes. Mail, contacts and calendars are copied over standard protocols, and the switch is scheduled with you. From the Premium plan our team does the work.
Does XgenPlus run on-premise for a bank or a state department?
Yes. XgenPlus Enterprise installs on your servers or private cloud with your own storage, backups, LDAP or Active Directory, archiving and eDiscovery. Ask for the on-premise edition.
Tell us about your Zoho Mail setup
A short note is enough. Someone from the XgenPlus team replies within one working day with a price for your team and a migration plan.
