The Microsoft 365 and Exchange alternative from India
XgenPlus is an Indian alternative to Microsoft 365 for organisations whose seats mostly need email, calendar and documents, and a replacement for on-premise Exchange where mail must stay on servers the organisation controls. XGEN Starter is ₹21 per user a month against ₹145 for Microsoft 365 Business Basic in India, Outlook and mobile clients keep working, and the Enterprise edition installs on your own hardware. Built by Data Xgen Technologies, Jaipur, and used by Air India, BSNL, HAL and NIXI.
- XGEN Starter ₹21 against Business Basic ₹145
- Outlook, iOS and Android keep working
- Enterprise edition on your own servers, no cloud dependency
- Mailboxes migrated from Exchange or 365 from the Premium plan
Microsoft 365 prices per user per month with annual commitment as published for India, checked August 2026, before GST.
Three bills that send organisations away from Microsoft 365 and Exchange
Exchange on-premise became a subscription in July 2025
Exchange Server Subscription Edition needs a subscription or Software Assurance for every seat, and Microsoft raised server prices by 10 to 20% with it. Banks, PSUs and units that stayed on-premise for regulatory reasons pay more for the same servers. XgenPlus Enterprise is licensed per mailbox for on-premise use, with archiving, eDiscovery, LDAP and Active Directory included.
Most seats never open Teams or Power Automate
Business Basic is ₹145 per user a month in India and the plans with desktop Office rise from there. XGEN Starter Pro at ₹31 gives a 5 GB mailbox, Xgen Office online, chat and AI compose. A 25-seat office on XGEN Advance Pro, matching Business Basic at 50 GB, pays ₹33,300 a year instead of ₹43,500.
Residency is a question with a yes or no answer
RBI, SEBI and IRDAI reviewers ask where the mailbox lives. Hosted XgenPlus answers India. The Enterprise edition answers wherever your rack is.
Sources: Microsoft 365 business plan pricing for India, checked August 2026; Exchange Server Subscription Edition general availability and pricing notice, July 2025. XgenPlus plan details from the pricing page.
XgenPlus and Microsoft 365 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 |
| Microsoft 365 Business BasicMicrosoft 365 | ₹145 | 50 GB mailbox | |
| Microsoft 365 Business StandardMicrosoft 365 | ₹770 | 50 GB mailbox | |
| Exchange Server SE (on-premise)Microsoft 365 | On request | Your servers | per-seat subscription or Software Assurance |
Microsoft 365 prices per user per month with annual commitment as published for India, checked August 2026, before GST. XgenPlus prices are per user per month, billed annually, plus 18% GST. On-premise XgenPlus is quoted per deployment. Every XgenPlus plan is on the pricing page.
XgenPlus figures are yearly totals at the per-user monthly price; add 18% GST, which a registered business claims back.
XgenPlus and Microsoft 365, capability by capability
| Capability | XgenPlus | Microsoft 365 |
|---|---|---|
| Email, contacts, calendar | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mailbox storage | 2 GB to unlimited by plan | 50 GB mailbox |
| Outlook desktop support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Data hosted in India | ✓ | Depends on tenant region |
| Same product on your own servers | Enterprise, on-premise edition | Exchange SE, subscription per seat |
| Email addresses in Indian scripts (IDN) | ✓ | ✗ |
| AI reply and compose | From Starter Pro | Copilot, extra cost |
| Docs, sheets, slides | Xgen Office online, from Starter Pro | Web apps on Basic; desktop from Standard |
| Chat | From Starter Pro | Teams |
| Audio and video meetings | From Premium | Teams |
| S/MIME encryption and signing | From Advance Pro | S/MIME with an external CA |
| Built-in certificate authority with CRL and OCSP | Enterprise, on-premise edition | ✗ |
| Archiving, litigation hold, eDiscovery | Enterprise, on-premise edition | Higher plans |
| Face attendance and field staff tracking | From Advance | ✗ |
| GST tax invoice in rupees | ✓ | ✓ |
XgenPlus plan availability as on the pricing page. Microsoft 365 capabilities as published by the provider on the dates in the sources above; check its current plans before you decide.
Off Exchange or 365 with Outlook still on every desk
- We inventory the tenant or the Exchange organisation: mailboxes, shared mailboxes, distribution lists, sizes and any journaling rules.
- Mailboxes are migrated in batches into XgenPlus while Outlook keeps working against the old server. Distribution lists become XgenPlus groups.
- MX and autodiscover records switch on the agreed evening. Outlook profiles repoint to XgenPlus, users sign in with the same address, and the old server is retired after your sign-off.
Hosted customers on Premium and above get the migration done for them; every on-premise Enterprise deployment includes it.
Microsoft 365 alternative: what people ask
Is XgenPlus cheaper than Microsoft 365?
Yes. XGEN Starter is ₹21 per user a month against ₹145 for Microsoft 365 Business Basic in India. At the same 50 GB per mailbox, XGEN Advance Pro is ₹111. XgenPlus is billed annually plus 18% GST.
Does XgenPlus work with Outlook?
Yes. Outlook connects over IMAP and SMTP, and calendars and contacts sync. There are also XgenPlus web, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
Can XgenPlus replace an on-premise Exchange server?
Yes. XgenPlus Enterprise runs on your own servers or private cloud with archiving, litigation hold, eDiscovery, LDAP and Active Directory integration.
What happens to Word, Excel and PowerPoint files?
Xgen Office opens and edits Office formats online from the Starter Pro plan. A downloadable desktop suite is coming soon.
Is XgenPlus an Indian company?
Yes. XgenPlus is built and run by Data Xgen Technologies in Jaipur, Rajasthan, with government and enterprise customers including Air India, BSNL, HAL and NIXI.
What does a 25-user team pay per year?
Microsoft 365 Business Basic costs ₹43,500 a year for 25 users at ₹145. XGEN Advance Pro with the same 50 GB per mailbox costs ₹33,300, and XGEN Premium with 10 GB costs ₹15,000, both plus 18% GST.
Tell us about your Microsoft 365 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.
