MapleMail vs Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 is an office suite that comes with an inbox. MapleMail is business email that stays in Canada. Most people comparing them are really asking one question: do I need the suite?
| MapleMail Standard | Microsoft 365 Business Basic | |
|---|---|---|
| Per user, per month | $7.99 CAD | See Microsoft's Canadian pricing page — we do not republish it, because we cannot keep it accurate |
| Billed in | Canadian dollars | Canadian dollars |
| Where your mail is stored | Canada | Microsoft's global data centres |
| What you get | Email only | Email plus Word, Excel, Teams and OneDrive |
| Works with Outlook | Yes, over IMAP/SMTP | Yes |
| Who fixes it when it breaks | The person who built it | Microsoft support |
Checked 9 September 2026. We link to Microsoft's price rather than copying it, so you are always reading their current number.
Pick Microsoft 365 if
- Your business runs on Word, Excel and Teams and you need them licensed anyway.
- You have an IT provider who already manages Microsoft tenants for you.
- Your clients or contracts require a large vendor with a formal support agreement.
Pick MapleMail if
- You want business email stored in Canada, under Canadian law and PIPEDA.
- You are paying for a whole suite and using it for the inbox.
- You want mail that works in whatever client your team already uses, without a tenant to administer.
- You would like to be able to name the person responsible for your mail server.
Be honest about the suite
If leaving Microsoft 365 means separately buying documents, spreadsheets, file storage and video calls, MapleMail will not save you money. It saves money for businesses that already have those things, or genuinely do not need them, and are buying an entire office suite to get an email address.
Moving your mail
MapleMail speaks standard IMAP, so mail copies out of Exchange with an ordinary mail client. Your domain and your addresses do not change. We generate the MX, SPF, DKIM and DMARC records; you publish them when you are ready, and not before.
Common questions
Can I keep using Outlook?
Yes. MapleMail connects to Outlook over IMAP and SMTP like any other account.
Do I lose Teams?
Yes — MapleMail has no chat or video product. If Teams is load-bearing for your business, keep it, or budget for a replacement.
Can I run both during the switch?
Yes, and you should. Set MapleMail up on a test domain, confirm sending and receiving, then move the MX records once you are satisfied.
Prove it on your own domain first.
Free plan, no card, no migration required to find out whether it works for you.
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