SOGo review

SOGo is an open-source groupware server for sharing email, calendars, and address books across an organization. It provides a web interface and supports native clients through standard protocols, rather than limiting users to its browser interface.

The listed protocols include CalDAV, CardDAV, and GroupDAV. SOGo also supports Microsoft ActiveSync to synchronize email, contacts, events, and tasks with supported mobile devices. For Outlook, the stated compatibility route is Outlook CalDav Synchronizer.

That makes SOGo a candidate for teams that want shared groupware built around open standards. The product description also says it is designed to scale and reports production deployments involving thousands of users. That is a deployment claim, not a published seat cap or a guarantee about what a particular installation will support.

SOGo’s main appeal is standards-based access. CalDAV and CardDAV support can connect calendars and address books to compatible clients, while ActiveSync covers supported mobile devices. Outlook is supported through Outlook CalDav Synchronizer, so teams should account for that additional component rather than assume native Outlook integration.

Sharing is central to the product: users can share calendars, address books, and mail across an organization. The AJAX-based web interface provides another way to access user information, alongside compatible native clients. The product description says SOGo is designed for scalability and reports production deployments with thousands of users, though it does not publish a user limit.

The Community plan costs nothing and includes support through a mailing list, FAQ, and documentation. For organizations that want paid support, the listed options include incident support, consulting hours, or priority bug fixes, depending on plan. That lets buyers separate the groupware software from the level of support they need, rather than treating every installation as a bundled office-suite subscription.

SOGo is groupware, not a turnkey office suite. The published feature list covers mail, calendars, contacts, sharing, and client protocols; it does not list a broader set of office applications. Teams looking for one packaged suite should check whether they need other products alongside it.

Support pricing is prepaid annually. The €41.67-per-month Sponsorship equivalent requires €500 upfront; Silver is €1,500 per year for 10 incidents and a four-business-hour acknowledgement. Gold costs €5,000 per year for 30 incidents, four consulting hours, and a two-hour acknowledgement. Platinum is €7,500 per year for 50 incidents, six consulting hours, and a two-hour acknowledgement. Acknowledgement times are not resolution-time promises.

Community seat and usage limits are not published. Sponsorship and Silver consulting costs are also not published, and sponsored development requires Product Committee approval, with costs not published. Unused support tickets do not extend, according to the pricing details. A free trial is not listed.

SOGo’s Community plan is free, but its seat and usage limits are not published. Paid plans are prepaid annually; listed monthly prices are equivalents, not monthly billing. Sponsorship costs €500 a year (€41.67/month equivalent). Silver is €1,500 a year (€125/month), Gold is €5,000 (€416.67/month), and Platinum is €7,500 (€625/month).

The sharpest jump is from Silver to Gold: €3,500 more per year, for 20 additional incidents, four consulting hours, a two-hour rather than four-business-hour acknowledgement, and priority bug fixes. Platinum adds 20 incidents and two consulting hours over Gold for another €2,500 annually. Gold and Platinum list discounts of 5% and 10% for two-year commitments.

Sponsorship includes release access; Silver includes 10 incidents, Gold 30, and Platinum 50. Unused tickets do not extend, according to the pricing details. Consulting beyond included hours and sponsored development are extra, but their prices are not published. Confirm support scope and limits before committing.

SOGo supports CalDAV, CardDAV and GroupDAV, plus ActiveSync for syncing mail, contacts, events and tasks with supported devices. It also works with Outlook using Outlook CalDav Synchronizer. Those standards may help keep client options open, but they do not establish how much work it takes to move existing mail, calendars or contacts. The migration steps and data-export options are not published on the vendor's site, so check those before choosing a cutover plan.

SOGo is a groupware server, not a hosted office suite. Teams looking for a turnkey hosted service may therefore prefer another option; that is a fit issue, not a verified user-reported reason for leaving. We don’t have Reddit posts or comments in the published material to substantiate what tends to make users leave, so we won’t guess. Before switching away, verify how to export each data type and whether your replacement accepts it. Open protocols can help with interoperability, but they are not a guarantee of a complete, low-effort migration.