CiraSync Alternative: A Simpler Way to Sync Microsoft 365 Contacts to iPhone & Android

A set of iPhones and Android devices all need access to the same organisation-wide contact information. In most cases, that means the Microsoft Global Address List contacts (GAL).

The goal is simple:

One authoritative list of work contact details
The right contacts on the right devices
Changes reflected on devices without manual work

What you want to avoid is also clear:

Users maintaining their own ad-hoc contact lists
Regular CSV exports and imports
Tickets asking for “this number to be added to everyone’s phone”

If you are evaluating a CiraSync alternative, this guide explains how both models work and what changes when you use a different approach for distributing contacts to mobile devices.

How CiraSync tackles the GAL-to-phone problem

CiraSync is designed to fix a real gap in Microsoft 365 contact management: getting GAL and shared contacts onto mobile devices.

At a high level, it works like this:

Connects to your Microsoft 365 tenant
Reads from sources such as the GAL or other Exchange contact containers
Writes those contacts into each targeted user’s mailbox Contacts folder
Relies on Exchange/ActiveSync or Microsoft Outlook to sync those mailbox contacts to phones

This approach is effective, but it has some clear implications:

The service needs deep access to your Microsoft 365 environment
It touches every mailbox you want to populate
A single directory list becomes many separate mailbox copies across the fleet

For admins, that combination can make the solution feel heavier than expected for getting a central address book onto phones.

Contactzilla solves the same problem with a different pattern, which is easier to reason about at scale.

How Contactzilla syncs Microsoft 365 contacts to iPhone and Android

Many teams looking for a CiraSync alternative want a model that does not rely on mailbox write access or ActiveSync behaviour. Contactzilla also publishes a central contact list to iOS and Android, but does so through a more streamlined, mailbox-free sync model.

At a high level:

You populate a Contactzilla address book. Contacts can come from CSV, vCards, other systems, or the Microsoft Entra importer, which reads directory users and mail contacts from your tenant.
From that address book, you create device connections. For each connection you choose the platform (iOS or Android) and the access level: full read/write, full read-only, or selective read-only based on labels.
You roll those connections out to devices, either individually or via your MDM.

The source of truth stays in the shared address book, and no user mailboxes are modified.
So the two data flows look like this:

CiraSync: Exchange / GAL → CiraSync → mailbox Contacts → ActiveSync/Outlook → devices
Contactzilla: Entra / other sources → Contactzilla address book → device connections (CardDAV / profiles) → devices

How CiraSync’s mailbox model compares to Contactzilla’s CardDAV approach

Diagram: Comparing CiraSync’s mailbox-based sync model with Contactzilla’s CardDAV-based device connection model for delivering Microsoft 365 contacts to mobile devices.

Once you put the two flows side by side, three things matter:
where the source of truth sits for what ends up on phones, what needs permission, and how much drift you see in the field.

Source of truth (for what’s on devices)

With CiraSync, the central list in Exchange is copied into each targeted user’s mailbox Contacts folder. Those mailbox copies are what devices see and what users edit.
With Contactzilla, directory data from Microsoft Entra ID is synced into a Contactzilla address book, which is then published to devices. Entra stays your directory of record; Contactzilla is the layer that exposes that directory data as a shared contacts account on phones.

Permissions

CiraSync needs rights to read from your Exchange sources and write into each targeted mailbox.
Contactzilla reads from Entra and publishes a CardDAV endpoint / device connection for the address book. It does not need to modify user mailboxes.

Drift and consistency

In the CiraSync model, users can edit or delete contacts in their mailbox folders. Over time, their local view can diverge from the central list.
With Contactzilla, you typically roll out the address book as read-only, so the list on devices stays aligned with the central directory-driven view.

For small deployments, both models work. As you add more devices and more teams, these differences start to drive how simple the setup is to run, explain, and secure.

How Outlook contact quirks affect mailbox-based tools like CiraSync

Screenshot of Outlook on the web showing the New Contacts toggle, All Contacts list, and contact detail panel — an example of UI behaviour that can cause sync and duplicate issues for mailbox-based tools.

In a separate article, we walked through how Outlook handles contacts differently across Desktop, Outlook on the web, and the newer “People” experience, and how that leads to confusing behaviour around folders, categories and directories. We also looked at ActiveSync and the duplicate-contact issues it can create on iOS. CiraSync lives entirely in that world:

It reads from GAL, public-folder contacts, and other Exchange contact sources.
It writes contacts into users’ mailbox Contacts folders.
It relies on Exchange ActiveSync or Outlook’s “Save Contacts” feature to get those mailbox contacts onto phones.

That means any Outlook contact oddities such as hidden folders, different views between Desktop and Web, category/folder confusion, and mobile duplicate issues can surface as support tickets for a CiraSync deployment.

Contactzilla’s usual pattern to phones side-steps most of this:

It pulls directory data from Entra into a Contactzilla address book.
It publishes that address book to devices over CardDAV.
Phones talk directly to Contactzilla for that shared account, without involving Outlook folders or ActiveSync.

For mobile contact deployment specifically, you get a stable feed from Entra → Contactzilla → CardDAV → device, without being exposed to most of Outlook’s contact UI and ActiveSync quirks.

Managing different contact sets for teams and departments

In most organisations, not everyone needs the same contacts.
Operations, on-call crews, management, and HQ all have different needs. So the next question after “can you get the GAL on phones?” is “can you send only the right contacts to each group of users?”

CiraSync

With CiraSync, what goes to devices is driven by which Exchange contact sources you choose:

You select GAL segments, public folders, or other contact containers in Exchange.
You map those sources to sets of mailboxes or distribution groups.

If you want different contact sets for different teams, you model that in Exchange (for example, by creating separate folders or lists) and then wire each one to the relevant mailboxes via CiraSync jobs. The segmentation logic lives mainly in how you structure and target those Exchange containers. If that sounds complicated it’s because it can be. The segmentation logic depends entirely on how your Exchange contact containers are structured and targeted.

Contactzilla

Contactzilla deals with this in a cleaner way. Contact data from Entra is pulled into an address book, and then device connections determine who sees what:

You can tag contacts in the address book (for example by team, site, role).
Each device connection decides which of those tagged contacts should appear on a given set of devices, and whether users can edit them or just view them.

Screenshot of the Contactzilla interface showing multiple selective read-only CardDAV connections, each configured with different contact labels for targeted contact sync. — The Contactzilla admin interface showing multiple selective read-only sync deployments. Each connection pushes a filtered set of contacts — defined by labels like department:publicworks or team:dispatch — to specific devices, ensuring users only receive the data they need.

In practice, this means you can give on-call phones one set of contacts, depot devices another, and management devices a broader set, all from the same underlying address book.

Both platforms can deliver different contacts to different groups. CiraSync leans on Exchange structure and mailbox targeting; Contactzilla leans on address book tags and device connections that can be rolled out consistently across a fleet.

Selective read-only contact deployment diagram showing label-based filtering for MaaS360 MDM contact distribution. — Contactzilla’s selective read-only sync filters your master contact list using one or more labels — such as department, role, or team — and pushes only the relevant contacts to each group of devices. For example, a medic’s phone might receive contacts tagged rank:responder, while dispatch tablets get contacts under team:dispatch, and field maintenance crews receive only those tagged unit:maintenance.

How CiraSync and Contactzilla handle read-only vs editable contacts

For many organisations, company contacts on managed devices should be visible and up to date, but not something users can freely change. This is especially true for shared or frontline phones.

CiraSync

Because CiraSync writes contacts into each user’s mailbox Contacts folder, those entries behave like any other Outlook contact. Users can edit or delete them on the device or in Outlook. Depending on how CiraSync is configured, some of those edits may be overwritten on the next sync, but there is always a risk of drift between what’s in the central list and what lives in individual mailboxes.

Contactzilla

You can publish an address book as read-only, preventing users from changing or deleting entries. If you want users to edit contacts, you can enable read/write instead. This keeps the behavioural model simple and predictable.

In read-only mode, the shared Contactzilla address book (fed from Entra) remains the single place you manage what appears on devices. Users can still maintain their own personal contacts in their normal account, but the organisation’s contact list stays controlled and consistent.

Deploying to Hundreds of Devices Through MDM

rows of iphones each showing the same contact information to represent deployment of contacts at scale.

Large organisations rarely set up contacts one device at a time. They need a repeatable, MDM-driven rollout that scales cleanly and behaves predictably across iPhones and Android devices. This is the point where the differences between Contactzilla and CiraSync become very clear.

Contactzilla: built for MDM-based fleet deployments

Contactzilla’s deployment model is designed around MDM from the start. Devices receive the shared address book with no user interaction
No mailbox permissions are involved.
The address book simply appears in the native Contacts app, with labels becoming groups/lists on iOS/Android.

A typical rollout looks like this:

Step 1: Create an MDM user

Contactzilla supports a specific MDM User – Device Only Access role.
This account has no access to the web interface and exists purely to authenticate large numbers of devices.

Screenshot of Contactzilla’s “Add Team Member” screen showing creation of an MDM User with Device Only Access, used for deploying shared contact profiles to mobile devices through an MDM system.

Step 2: Generate a device connection for the whole fleet

For each address book, you create a CardDAV connection assigned to the MDM user.
You select:

Platform (iOS, Android, Other)
Access type (read/write, full read-only, or selective read-only)
The number of allowed device connections (e.g., 200 iPhones)

Contactzilla Device Connections page showing Create New Device Connection form with iOS iPhone iPad connection type, access type, and label sync method settings.

Step 3: Download a mobile configuration profile

For iOS/macOS, Contactzilla produces a .mobileconfig file containing all server settings, authentication credentials, and sync parameters.
This file is uploaded directly into your MDM system and pushed to all devices in the target group.

Downloading the Contactzilla .mobileconfig file from the Device Connections panel for MDM deployment.

Step 4: Push via Intune, Jamf, Mosyle, MaaS360, Workspace One or any other major MDM

Because the profile is standards-compliant CardDAV, every mainstream MDM can deploy it without custom integrations.
Your help library already has step-by-step guides for each major platform (Intune, Jamf, Mosyle, MaaS360). This gives admins confidence that the rollout process is predictable and repeatable.

This model scales because the MDM handles delivery, and Contactzilla simply authenticates devices and publishes the shared address book via CardDAV. There is no per-user complexity, no mailbox provisioning, no need for staff to sign in, and no risk of drift when rolled out in read-only mode.

Assign the Contactzilla mobile configuration profile to the correct device group in your preferred MDM in this case Microsoft Intune to deploy the shared contact list to managed iOS devices.

Tip 💡: Contactzilla integrates cleanly with every major MDM Upload the generated .mobileconfig profile, target the device group, and deploy at scale.
Help guides:
Microsoft Intune | Mosyle MDM | Jamf Pro | IBM MaaS360

A quick note on read-only at scale

For enterprise and frontline fleets, read-only behaviour is often essential. Contactzilla supports:

Full read-only
Selective read-only, where only contacts matching certain labels sync
Lock Emoji, visually signalling read-only contacts on devices

This combination is why Contactzilla works well in environments like fire services, ambulance trusts, shared-device crews, shift-based teams, or any organisation where phones rotate between users.

CiraSync at scale

CiraSync can populate a large fleet, but it does so without direct MDM integration. There is no native profile-based deployment model for distributing contact accounts to devices.

Instead, scaling works like this:

CiraSync writes contacts into each user’s mailbox Contacts folder.
Exchange/ActiveSync or the Outlook app syncs those contacts to devices.
Each device must be associated with a mailbox identity.
Shared devices, pooled devices, or unsigned-in devices complicate this model.
There is no built-in concept of an MDM user, device-only accounts, or profile-based rollouts.

For personal-identity devices in a pure Microsoft estate, this model functions.
For fleet scenarios—hundreds of operational iPhones, shared shift-based devices, or Android units without full Outlook/ActiveSync dependency, the model becomes harder to manage. Deployments depend on mailbox mappings rather than device-based provisioning.

So far, we’ve focused on how CiraSync and Contactzilla handle contacts, architecture, and MDM scale-out. There are a few other areas that may matter, depending on your environment.

Shared calendars

CiraSync
CiraSync syncs shared calendars and public folder calendars from Microsoft 365 to smartphones, alongside contacts. It can push shared calendars, public folder calendars and even iCal feeds into users’ mailboxes so that events appear on mobile calendars through the usual Exchange/ActiveSync path.

Contactzilla
Contactzilla focuses purely on shared contacts. It does not sync calendars; customers continue to use Microsoft 365’s native calendar tooling and whatever MDM policies they already have in place for calendar access. For many deployments, that division is acceptable: Outlook and Exchange manage calendars, Contactzilla manages shared contacts.

Other capabilities and integrations to consider

Shared calendars

CiraSync

CiraSync syncs shared calendars and public folder calendars from Microsoft 365 to smartphones, alongside contacts. It can push shared calendars, public folder calendars and even iCal feeds into users’ mailboxes so that events appear on mobile calendars through the usual Exchange/ActiveSync path.

Contactzilla

Contactzilla focuses purely on shared contacts. It does not sync calendars; customers continue to use Microsoft 365’s native calendar tooling and whatever MDM policies they already have in place for calendar access. For many deployments, that division is acceptable. Outlook and Exchange manage calendars, Contactzilla manages shared contacts.

CRM and directory sources

CiraSync

CiraSync offers connectors for syncing CRM contacts (for example Salesforce and HubSpot) into Outlook contact folders, and from there to smartphones. It also supports Microsoft 365 sources such as the GAL, shared mailboxes, and public folders.

Contactzilla

Contactzilla pulls directory users and mail contacts from Microsoft Entra ID into a shared address book and can also import from CSV, vCards and Salesforce. It also has a Google Workspace directory importer for organisations standardising on Google accounts but still needing curated shared contact lists on iOS and Android. Additional CRM integrations can be implemented where needed, but the core pattern is the same: consolidate into an address book, then publish to devices via CardDAV.

Sync frequency

CiraSync

CiraSync runs scheduled sync jobs that write updated contacts into each user’s mailbox.
The frequency you can use depends on the edition:

Enterprise Edition: multiple syncs per day
Personal Edition: limited to weekly sync, with item limits

After each server-side job runs, devices receive updates according to their normal Outlook/ActiveSync behaviour. This means the update path relies on two layers: CiraSync’s job schedule, and the device’s mailbox sync cadence.

Contactzilla

Contactzilla’s Entra importer has a fully configurable schedule, with no edition-based restrictions.
You can update directory data:

every hour
every 2, 4, 8 or 12 hours
daily
weekly
monthly
or manually on demand

Devices then refresh from the Contactzilla address book over CardDAV using the platform’s normal CardDAV interval.

Security and vendor profile

CiraSync

CiraSync is a larger organization with around 70-80 employees at the time of writing. It runs on Microsoft Azure and positions itself as an enterprise-grade platform with GDPR compliance, SOC 2 reporting, encryption, and role-based access controls. Some materials also reference support for HIPAA and CJIS-related deployments. There security literature is viable here

Contactzilla

Contactzilla is a smaller, team of fewer than 10 people and offers robust security and data protection baselines (GDPR, SOC 2, HIPAA-ready posture with BAAs where required) and works with customers in regulated sectors such as healthcare and emergency services. Security controls include TLS encryption end-to-end, encryption at rest on all data and backups, and infrastructure provisioned on AWS. Updates are deployed through blue/green releases to avoid downtime. Their Trust site is viewable here.

Pricing and Licensing model

CiraSync uses a per-user pricing model. The Enterprise Edition, which is required for features such as multiple daily syncs and support, costs $3.75 per user per month when billed annually, purchased in blocks of five users. The free plan syncs weekly and has contact limits, so it is rarely suitable for business deployments.

Contactzilla uses a per-device model with simple, transparent volume pricing:

1–199 devices: $1.79 per device per month
200–499 devices: $1.49 per device per month
500–1999 devices: $1.20 per device per month

All tiers include unlimited users, unlimited address books, and unlimited contacts.
For customers using the Microsoft Entra ID importer, Contactzilla charges a flat $50 per month, regardless of the number of users or devices.

Choosing between CiraSync and Contactzilla

If you are deciding between the two approaches, the choice usually comes down to your environment and what you need to sync.

When CiraSync still makes sense

You need mobile calendar sync from shared calendars or public-folder calendars, alongside contacts.
Your deployment is mailbox-centric, with each user signing into Outlook on their device.
You are comfortable managing contact segmentation through Exchange folders and mailbox mappings.
You do not rely on shared or pooled devices that require strict read-only behaviour.

When Contactzilla is the better fit

You manage iOS or Android fleets through MDM and want a predictable, profile-based rollout.
You need read-only shared contacts for frontline or shared devices, or you want to prevent drift entirely.
You want to sync Entra directory contacts directly to devices without modifying user mailboxes.
You need different contact sets for different teams, managed centrally and deployed cleanly at scale.
You prefer flexible, high-frequency sync from Entra without edition-based limits.

Both platforms aim to get authoritative contacts onto mobile devices. The right choice depends on whether you want a mailbox-driven sync model with optional calendar features, or an MDM-centred, CardDAV-based model designed for fleets, shared devices and read-only deployments.

FAQ’s

What should I consider when choosing a CiraSync alternative for my company?

When choosing a CiraSync alternative for your company, consider how the platform syncs contacts, whether it modifies user mailboxes, and how well it works with your MDM. Check support for read-only contact delivery, directory integration, update frequency, and how easily it scales across shared or frontline devices.

How do I get the Microsoft 365 GAL onto iPhone and Android devices?

You can get the Microsoft 365 GAL onto iPhone and Android devices by using a sync tool that publishes directory contacts to phones. Options include mailbox-based tools like CiraSync or CardDAV-based services like Contactzilla. Both read Microsoft 365 directory data and deliver it to native contact apps.

What’s the difference between ActiveSync and CardDAV for contact sync?

ActiveSync syncs contacts through a user’s mailbox, so devices receive whatever is stored in the mailbox Contacts folder. CardDAV syncs contacts directly from a server endpoint without using mailboxes. CardDAV provides a cleaner, dedicated feed for shared contacts, while ActiveSync depends on Outlook behavior and mailbox structure.

How do I prevent users from editing or deleting company contacts on mobile devices?

You can prevent users from editing or deleting company contacts by delivering them as read-only on the device. CardDAV-based services like Contactzilla let you push shared contacts with read-only permissions, so staff cannot change or remove entries. This keeps the organisation’s contact list consistent.

Can Contactzilla sync Google Workspace directory contacts to mobile devices?

Yes. Contactzilla can sync Google Workspace directory contacts to mobile devices by importing domain users and shared contacts into a Contactzilla address book. Devices then receive the contacts through a CardDAV connection, allowing iPhones and Android phones to display them in the native Contacts app.

Why do I see duplicate contacts when using CiraSync?

You may see duplicate contacts when using CiraSync if devices receive entries from both ActiveSync and the Outlook mobile app. CiraSync writes contacts into the mailbox folder, while Outlook’s “Save Contacts” toggle can create a second local copy, causing duplicates on the device.

Is there a CiraSync alternative that does not rely on ActiveSync?

Yes. Contactzilla is a CiraSync alternative that does not rely on ActiveSync. It publishes shared Microsoft 365 contacts to devices using CardDAV instead of mailbox folders, avoiding Outlook-based sync behaviour and providing a direct, consistent feed of company contacts to iPhone and Android devices.

What are the top alternatives to CiraSync in 2025?

Top alternatives to CiraSync in 2025 include Contactzilla for CardDAV and MDM-based deployments, plus GAL sync tools such as CiraHub, Itrezzo and Cloudiway GAL Sync. The best choice depends on whether you need mailbox-based syncing, cross-tenant GAL sync, or simple shared contacts on devices.