OX App vs. OX Productivity: Which One Do You Really Need?

A complete guide to understanding the difference between OX App Suite and OX Productivity—and choosing what’s best for you

Email is still the heart of communication for most businesses and individuals. But not all email platforms are created equal. If you're considering switching to OX App Suite, you'll see two options available: OX App and OX Productivity.

While both share the same base platform, they’re designed for different needs. This guide explains what each one includes, who they’re best for, and how to decide which version is right for you—whether you’re a solo user, freelancer, or growing business.

OX App: A Smart, Focused Email Platform

OX App is the entry-level option and includes everything you need to send, receive, and organise email—without all the extras you may not need.

This is ideal for:

• Anyone replacing old-fashioned cPanel webmail (like Roundcube or Horde)
• Freelancers and individuals who want fast, modern email without clutter
• Clients who primarily use mobile and want a smoother experience than Gmail or Outlook
• Businesses who already use separate tools for documents or cloud storage

What you get with OX App:

• A beautiful, modern webmail interface
• Reliable email access via web browser, mobile app, or desktop client (like Outlook or Thunderbird)
• Easy folder creation, search tools, and spam filtering
• Contact and calendar syncing
• No ads, no distractions, and full local hosting by IDS Hosting

It’s a massive step up from most free or bundled email solutions, but without the cost or complexity of a full productivity suite.

OX Productivity: More Than Just Email

OX Productivity is built on top of OX App—but adds a complete set of online productivity tools. This version is designed for users and teams who want to get more done, collaborate more easily, and work across multiple devices without juggling different platforms.

This is a great fit for:

• Entrepreneurs and startups
• Remote workers or hybrid teams
• Small businesses that want Google Workspace-style features without the Google ecosystem
• Anyone tired of switching between different tools for email, documents, calendars, and storage

Here’s what you unlock with OX Productivity:

• OX Drive – Cloud-based file storage, synced across devices. Upload, share, and access documents from anywhere.
• OX Documents, Sheets, and Presentations – Create and edit documents directly in your browser. No Microsoft Office or Google Docs required.
• Shared calendars and contacts – Ideal for team scheduling, project coordination, or managing customer relationships.
• Tasks and to-do lists – Organise your day with built-in task tracking that links to your calendar.
• Collaboration tools – Share files with co-workers, co-edit documents, or assign tasks from a single dashboard.

OX Productivity gives you the convenience of an all-in-one workspace—with the added benefit that it’s hosted locally, fully supported, and not harvesting your data.

Real-Life Use Cases

Let’s say you’re running a small business. With OX Productivity, your team can:

• Use one login for email, files, and calendar
• Share documents and collaborate in real time
• Store project files safely in the cloud
• Schedule meetings without needing external calendar tools
• Access everything from a phone, tablet, or desktop—even when travelling

If you're just looking for a clean inbox and basic email, OX App alone will meet your needs. But if you want to run your day from one place, OX Productivity becomes your business hub.

Feature Summary at a Glance

So Which One Is Right for You?

If you're an individual, freelancer, or small office with minimal collaboration needs, OX App offers everything you need in a modern, ad-free inbox with excellent speed and usability.

If you're a business, remote worker, or someone who wants to centralise their email, documents, files, and team activity in one secure platform, OX Productivity is the smarter choice.

And since both options are managed and supported by IDS Hosting, you don’t have to worry about your data being sold or your inbox being mined for advertising.

Not sure which one suits your workflow best? Get in touch with our support team—we’ll help you decide or even let you test both.