Onboarding | Project Phases | Best Practices | Glossary of Key Terms
Differences between User & Shared mailboxes
In Microsoft 365, there are differences between User mailboxes and Shared mailboxes.
In Google Workspace, Shared mailboxes do not exist.
Summary of differences
A Microsoft 365 User mailbox is typically associated with an individual user and is used for active email communication. This mailbox is generally used for sending, receiving, and managing email data for a particular person within an organization. User mailboxes require an active license to be operable and contain login credentials (email address and password).
A Shared mailbox is not always linked to a specific user, but rather created for shared access among multiple users within an organization. It doesn’t have its own login credentials and can be accessed by multiple individuals who have been granted permissions. Shared mailboxes are commonly used for inactive users, when the organization must retain the inactive user’s data, but the user no longer requires access to their account. In this situation, the organization would provide access to this Shared mailbox to company administrators. Additionally, Shared mailboxes can be useful for projects or teams where multiple people need access to the same set of email data and information. Shared mailboxes can be used to centralize communication and collaboration among a group without the need to share login credentials or forward messages between users. Shared mailboxes do not require a license.
Another key distinction beyond licensing (User mailboxes require a license, Shared mailboxes do not) is storage capacity. User mailboxes can be assigned licenses that provide either 50 or 100 GB of storage, while Shared mailboxes are limited to 50 GB storage capacity. Shared mailboxes do not include an associated OneDrive space, while most licensed User mailboxes come with an associated OneDrive space.
Specific differences
User Mailbox
- Individual Use: User mailboxes are typically associated with individual users in the organization.
- Authentication: Requires user authentication (email address and password) to access the mailbox.
- Primary Mailbox: Each user has a primary mailbox that is associated with their account.
- Full Access: The user has full access to their own mailbox and can manage it directly.
Shared Mailbox
- Collaborative Use: Shared mailboxes are designed for collaborative use among a group of users.
- No Direct Login: Shared mailboxes don’t have direct logins. Users access them by being granted permissions.
- No Primary User: Shared mailboxes are not associated with a specific individual but can be accessed by multiple users.
- Delegated Access: Users are granted permissions to access and manage the shared mailbox.
Permissions
- User Mailbox: Users have default access to their own mailbox and can grant permissions to others if needed.
- Shared Mailbox: Permissions are assigned to users by an administrator, allowing multiple users to access the Shared mailbox without a direct login.
Use Cases
- User Mailbox: Used for individual user communication and collaboration.
- Shared Mailbox: Used for retention of inactive users’ data, or scenarios where a group of users needs to access and manage a common mailbox, such as a departmental or project-related mailbox.
Licensing
- User Mailbox: Each user mailbox is associated with a user account and requires a user license.
- Shared Mailbox: Shared mailboxes do not require a separate license. However, the user accessing the shared mailbox needs appropriate permissions and a valid license.
Size Limitations
- User Mailbox: The mailbox size limit is usually determined by the user’s license, generally 50 GB or 100 GB of storage.
- Shared Mailbox: Shared mailboxes are limited to 50 GB of storage.
OneDrive
- User Mailbox: Most User mailboxes come with an associated OneDrive space.
- Shared Mailbox: Shared mailboxes do not come with an associated OneDrive space.
How to create a mailbox
User mailboxes
Shared mailboxes