Microsoft 365 or cPanel Email for a Small Business in Tanzania?
Both give you info@yourbusiness.co.tz. One costs about six times more. Here are the real shilling prices, what you get for the difference, and how to switch without losing a single email.
By Jumbe Nylon, Founder and CTO, Sakurahost
The two ways to run business email
Hosted mailboxes (cPanel) are simple email accounts on a server: you get an inbox, webmail, and the ability to connect your phone and Outlook. Microsoft 365 is a full workplace suite built around Exchange email, with shared calendars, Teams, OneDrive and Office apps.
Most small businesses only need the first. Some genuinely need the second. The mistake we see most is paying for the second when the first would do, or the reverse: running a team that shares calendars and a shared info@ inbox on plain mailboxes.
What it costs in shillings
Prices below are per year, paid yearly, checked in October 2026. Sakurahost email Starter is Tsh. 45,900 per mailbox (5 GB each). Microsoft 365 Business Basic without Teams is Tsh. 270,000 per user per year.
If any one mailbox needs more than 5 GB, the whole domain moves to Email Business (25 GB each) at Tsh. 96,900 per mailbox, which is Tsh. 969,000 for 10 users. That is still far below Microsoft 365.
What you get for the difference
Choose cPanel email if
- Your team mainly needs to send, receive and search email on a phone or in Outlook
- Each person works from one or two devices and does not share calendars
- You want your address on your own domain at the lowest yearly cost
- Your website is already with us and you would like everything in one place
Choose Microsoft 365 if
- Your team shares calendars, books meeting rooms or relies on a shared info@ or sales@ mailbox
- You hold video meetings in Teams every day
- You need the desktop Office apps, large file storage in OneDrive, or enforced two-step login for everyone
- You have more than about 50 people and want central admin controls
We resell Microsoft 365 too, so you can pay in shillings by M-Pesa or bank and still get the full suite. See Microsoft 365 plans.
How to switch without losing mail
Pick a plan and count the mailboxes
Choose a package and the number of users on the email plans page. If anyone has a very large mailbox, size the plan for that person.
Copy the old mail across
We create the new mailboxes and copy each person's inbox, sent items and folders. This needs each person's current password, or a temporary reset.
Switch the domain and fix the records
Your domain's mail records are changed so new mail arrives at the new mailboxes. Your SPF record is merged into one at the same time, so mail does not land in spam.
Cancel the old subscription last
Only when everyone is confirmed working, cancel Microsoft 365. Cancelling first deletes the old mailboxes, and the mail with them.
Mistakes we see most often
- Two SPF records on one domain, one added by each service. A domain may have only one, and two make your mail look suspicious.
- Cancelling the old email service before the new one is confirmed working.
- Forgetting the DKIM key and DMARC record, so mail from the new mailboxes is treated as less trustworthy.
- Changing nameservers before copying every record, which takes email offline.
Step-by-step help: fix two SPF records, add several MX records and migrate email accounts to Sakurahost.
Frequently asked questions
Is Microsoft 365 or cPanel email cheaper?
Hosted cPanel mailboxes are much cheaper. Sakurahost email starts at Tsh. 45,900 per mailbox per year (5 GB each). Microsoft 365 Business Basic without Teams is Tsh. 270,000 per user per year when you pay yearly. For 10 users that is about Tsh. 459,000 against Tsh. 2,700,000. Prices checked October 2026.
Can I move from Microsoft 365 to cPanel email without losing mail?
Yes. Your old mail is copied to the new mailboxes first, your domain is then switched to the new mail servers, and only when everyone is confirmed working do you cancel Microsoft 365. Cancelling first deletes the old mailboxes.
What does not move when I leave Microsoft 365?
Email, folders and contacts can be copied. Calendars, Teams, shared mailboxes and OneDrive files do not move automatically, so decide how you will replace them before you switch.
Can I use Outlook with cPanel email?
Yes, over IMAP and SMTP. It works well for one person on one or two devices. It does not offer the shared calendars and instant sync that Exchange gives with Microsoft 365.
Why does my domain have two SPF records?
Each service you added told you to add its own SPF record. A domain may have only one, so the records must be merged. See the step-by-step guide linked below.
Related guides
Not sure which one fits?
Tell us how many people need email and whether you share calendars, and we will recommend a plan and move your mail across.