A Zoho Mail alternative for organisations that need more than a cloud mailbox
XgenPlus is an Indian alternative to Zoho Mail from Data Xgen Technologies, Jaipur. Both companies host in India. XgenPlus differs where it matters to a tender or an auditor: the Enterprise edition installs on your own servers, mailboxes can carry addresses in Indian scripts, and email-only pricing starts at ₹21 per user a month instead of a suite price. Customers include Air India, BSNL, HAL and NIXI.
- 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 ₹21, Advance ₹85 for 30 GB
Zoho prices per user per month billed annually as published for India, checked August 2026, before GST. Zoho Mail Lite costs less than Workplace Standard; its India price is not shown on the Zoho pricing page we checked.
Where Zoho Mail stops and XgenPlus continues
The tender says on-premise, and Zoho is cloud only
State departments, PSUs, co-operative banks and defence-adjacent units 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 the hosted plans use the same console for the offices that can use a cloud.
Addresses in Hindi, Tamil or Bengali are a requirement, not a wish
Courts, municipalities, universities and Rajbhasha offices are asked for email in the local script. XgenPlus issues mailboxes on IDN addresses in 22 Indian scripts. Zoho Mail does not list mailboxes on internationalised addresses among its published features.
You pay suite money for mailboxes
Zoho Workplace Standard is ₹99 per user a month and includes Writer, Sheet, Cliq and Meeting. If a branch only needs mail, XGEN Starter is ₹21. If the office wants documents and chat too, Starter Pro at ₹31 includes Xgen Office online and chat.
Sources: zoho.com pricing and plan pages for India, checked August 2026; 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 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 equal storage the saving is modest. People choose XgenPlus over Zoho for the on-premise edition, IDN addresses and the certificate authority that comes with the product, more than for price. 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?
For mail-only seats, yes: XGEN Starter is ₹21 per user a month against ₹99 for Zoho Workplace Standard. At the same 30 GB per mailbox, XGEN Advance is ₹85 against ₹99, a smaller gap. Both are billed annually; XgenPlus adds 18% GST.
What does a 25-person team pay per year?
Zoho Workplace Standard costs ₹29,700 a year for 25 users. XGEN Advance with the same 30 GB per mailbox costs ₹25,500 plus GST, and XGEN Starter costs ₹6,300 plus GST where 2 GB mailboxes are enough.
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.
