Shared Contacts for Gmail vs CiraSync Comparison: Everything You Need to Know Before Choosing

CiraSync is a contact and calendar synchronisation service built specifically for Microsoft 365 and Exchange Online business users, developed by Cira Apps. Organisations using Microsoft 365 often want employees to have up-to-date company contacts on their smartphones, yet the global address list is not automatically available in native phone contact apps, leaving users unable to see caller identities or find colleagues’ details quickly. Manually distributing contact lists is time-consuming and quickly becomes outdated. CiraSync addresses this by automatically synchronising the global address list, public folder contacts and shared calendars to users’ Outlook mailboxes, from which they flow to iOS and Android devices through standard Exchange synchronisation. Its approach requires no software installation on mobile devices, making it simple for IT administrators to deploy across an organisation and ensuring contact information remains consistent and current for all employees. Key features include automated global address list synchronisation, synchronisation of public folder and shared contacts, calendar synchronisation for shared and public calendars, and configurable filters that determine which contacts are pushed to which users or groups. Administrators can define update schedules, map fields and manage synchronisation from a web-based dashboard, while logs and reports provide visibility into synchronisation activity. The service supports external contacts such as suppliers and customers, which is useful for sales and field service teams who need up-to-date information on the move. Because it operates in the cloud and connects through Microsoft APIs, deployment is quick and largely transparent to end users, and security features respect Microsoft 365 permissions. CiraSync targets organisations of all sizes using Microsoft 365, including healthcare, education, government, construction and professional services. A free version is available for small numbers of users, alongside a free trial, and paid plans start from around USD 1.25 per user.