What Microsoft 365 does well
- Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are the industry standard
- Deep Teams, SharePoint, and Power Platform integration
- Copilot AI features across the suite
- Enterprise compliance and admin tooling
Microsoft 365 Alternative: Private Email & Nextcloud
Microsoft 365 bills per user and keeps your files in their cloud. We host your email and files on your own server, at a flat price, and you keep using the clients you like.
Free migration · No contract · 30-day refund
Side by side
Mailu + Nextcloud vs Microsoft 365
Keep the standards you rely on (IMAP, Office file formats) without the per-user bill or the lock-in.
| Last Hour (Mailu + Nextcloud) | Microsoft 365 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $29/mo email, $49/mo workspace | Per user, per month |
| Email protocol | Standard IMAP / POP3 / SMTP | Exchange / Outlook |
| Email clients | Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, any client | Outlook and webmail |
| Office files | ✓ .docx / .xlsx interoperable | Word, Excel, PowerPoint |
| Storage ownership | Your server, your data | Microsoft's cloud |
| Who can scan your mail | ✕ No one, it's your server | Microsoft, under their terms |
| Software license | Open source (Mailu, Nextcloud) | Proprietary |
| Free migration | ✓ Done for you | Self-serve tools |
| Support | US-based engineers, email | Tiered vendor support |
Straight talk
Where each one wins
Where Microsoft 365 may still be the better fit
- You depend on advanced Excel features or macros
- You use Teams and SharePoint heavily
- You need Copilot AI in your documents
- You want a fully managed enterprise tenancy
Our honest take: if your business runs on advanced Excel, Teams, or Copilot, stay with Microsoft. If you mainly need reliable business email and file storage without a per-user bill, Mailu and Nextcloud cover that and the data stays yours.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep using Outlook with your email?
Yes. Our Mailu servers support IMAP, POP3, and SMTP, so you can use Outlook, Thunderbird, Apple Mail, or any standard email client.
Can I still open Word and Excel files?
Yes. Nextcloud includes an office suite and supports interoperability with Office file formats, so .docx and .xlsx files open and edit normally.
Is migrating from Microsoft 365 difficult?
No. We migrate your email, calendar, contacts, and files from Microsoft 365 to Mailu and Nextcloud for you, so you keep your history and don't lose anything.