generalbots/docs/src/chapter-11-features/m365-comparison.md

Enterprise Platform Migration

General Bots provides complete feature parity with enterprise cloud productivity suites while offering significant advantages: self-hosting, open source licensing, no per-user fees, and native AI integration.

Migration Overview

Organizations evaluating self-hosted alternatives find General Bots delivers equivalent functionality with full data sovereignty. The sections below map common enterprise APIs to their General Bots equivalents.

API Endpoint Mapping

Mail and Communication

Enterprise mail APIs handle sending, receiving, and managing email. General Bots provides the same capabilities through Stalwart Mail Server and BASIC keywords.

Enterprise API	General Bots Equivalent	Implementation
Messages endpoint	Stalwart IMAP/JMAP	Full mailbox access
Send mail endpoint	SEND MAIL keyword	SEND MAIL TO email SUBJECT s BODY b
Mail folders	Stalwart folders	Standard IMAP folders
Attachments	File keywords	READ, WRITE with attachments

The BASIC syntax is straightforward:

SEND MAIL TO "client@company.com" SUBJECT "Report Ready" BODY report_content

For receiving mail, configure webhooks or use scheduled scripts to process incoming messages through the Stalwart API.

Calendar and Scheduling

Calendar APIs manage events, appointments, and scheduling. General Bots integrates CalDAV with the BOOK keyword.

Enterprise API	General Bots Equivalent	Implementation
Calendar events	Calendar API	/api/calendar/events
Create event	BOOK keyword	BOOK "Meeting" AT datetime
Calendar view	Calendar range query	Date-filtered event retrieval
Free/busy lookup	Availability API	Schedule availability

Schedule appointments conversationally:

TALK "When would you like to schedule your appointment?"
HEAR appointment_time AS DATE
BOOK "Consultation" AT appointment_time
TALK "Your appointment is confirmed for " + FORMAT(appointment_time, "MMMM d 'at' h:mm a")

Files and Storage

Cloud storage APIs handle file operations, versioning, and sharing. SeaweedFS provides S3-compatible storage with full versioning support.

Enterprise API	General Bots Equivalent	Implementation
List files	LIST keyword	LIST "/documents/"
File listing	Drive API	/api/files/list
File content	READ keyword	content = READ "file.pdf"
File versions	Versions API	/api/files/versions
Permissions	Sharing API	Permission management

File operations in BASIC:

files = LIST "/reports/"
FOR EACH file IN files
    content = READ file.path
    processed = LLM "Summarize this document: " + content
    WRITE "/summaries/" + file.name + ".summary.txt", processed
NEXT file

Tasks and Planning

Task management APIs create, update, and track work items. General Bots implements a complete task system with project organization.

Enterprise API	General Bots Equivalent	Implementation
Tasks endpoint	Tasks API	/api/tasks
Task lists	Task lists	Board-based organization
Create task	CREATE TASK keyword	Task creation
Task details	Task CRUD	Full task lifecycle

Create tasks from conversations:

TALK "What task should I create?"
HEAR task_title

TALK "When is it due?"
HEAR due_date AS DATE

CREATE TASK task_title DUE due_date
TALK "Task created: " + task_title

Users and Directory

User management APIs handle identity, groups, and permissions. Zitadel provides enterprise-grade IAM with OIDC/OAuth2.

Enterprise API	General Bots Equivalent	Implementation
Users endpoint	Users API	/api/users
Current user	Current user	Session context
Groups	Groups API	/api/groups
Directory	Directory API	Zitadel directory
Memberships	Membership API	Group memberships

Automation and Workflows

Cloud automation platforms provide flow-based workflow design. General Bots offers BASIC scripting with more power and flexibility.

Cloud Automation	General Bots Equivalent	Advantage
Scheduled flows	SET SCHEDULE	Cron syntax, unlimited
HTTP triggers	WEBHOOK	Instant API creation
Connectors	GET, POST, GraphQL	Any REST/GraphQL API
Conditions	IF/THEN/ELSE	Full programming logic
Loops	FOR EACH	Native iteration
Data operations	TABLE, INSERT, UPDATE	Direct database access

A workflow that would require a visual designer elsewhere becomes simple BASIC:

SET SCHEDULE "0 9 * * 1-5"

' Daily sales report - runs weekdays at 9 AM
sales = AGGREGATE "orders", "SUM", "total", "date = TODAY()"
count = AGGREGATE "orders", "COUNT", "id", "date = TODAY()"

SET CONTEXT "You are a business analyst. Create a brief executive summary."
summary = LLM "Sales: $" + sales + ", Orders: " + count

SEND MAIL TO "executives@company.com" SUBJECT "Daily Sales Report" BODY summary

AI and Intelligence

Cloud AI assistants typically require additional per-user licensing. General Bots includes AI capabilities at no extra cost.

Cloud AI Feature	General Bots Equivalent	Advantage
AI Assistant	LLM keyword	Free (bring your API key)
Document analysis	USE KB + LLM	Built-in RAG
Image generation	IMAGE keyword	Local generation available
Speech-to-text	HEAR AS AUDIO	Whisper integration
Text-to-speech	AUDIO keyword	TTS models
Vision/OCR	SEE keyword	Vision models

AI integration is native:

USE KB "product-docs"
SET CONTEXT "You are a helpful product specialist."

TALK "How can I help you today?"
HEAR question
response = LLM question
TALK response

Feature Parity Matrix

Core Services

Service Category	Enterprise Cloud	General Bots	Status
Email	Cloud mail service	Stalwart Mail	✅ Complete
Calendar	Cloud calendar	CalDAV + Calendar API	✅ Complete
Files	Cloud storage	SeaweedFS	✅ Complete
Video	Cloud meetings	LiveKit	✅ Complete
Chat	Cloud messaging	Multi-channel	✅ Complete
Tasks	Cloud tasks	Tasks Module	✅ Complete
Identity	Cloud identity	Zitadel	✅ Complete
Search	Cloud search	Qdrant Vectors	✅ Semantic

Automation

Capability	Cloud Platform	General Bots	Status
Scheduled tasks	Scheduled flows	SET SCHEDULE	✅ Complete
Webhooks	HTTP triggers	WEBHOOK	✅ Complete
API calls	Connectors	HTTP keywords	✅ Flexible
Custom logic	Expressions	Full BASIC	✅ Powerful
Database	Cloud datastore	Direct SQL	✅ Direct
Pricing	Per-user fees	Included	✅ Free

AI Capabilities

Feature	Cloud AI (extra cost)	General Bots	Status
Chat assistance	✅	LLM keyword	✅ Included
Document Q&A	✅	USE KB + RAG	✅ Included
Code generation	✅	LLM with context	✅ Included
Image generation	Limited	IMAGE keyword	✅ Full
Video generation	❌	VIDEO keyword	✅ Available
Custom models	❌	Any provider	✅ Flexible

Cost Comparison

Typical Per-User Cloud Licensing

License Tier	Monthly Cost	100 Users/Year
Basic	$6/user	$7,200
Standard	$12.50/user	$15,000
Premium	$22/user	$26,400
+ AI features	$30/user	$36,000
Total Premium + AI	$52/user	$62,400

General Bots Self-Hosted

Component	Monthly Cost	Notes
Software	$0	AGPL licensed
Infrastructure	$50-200	Your servers
LLM API (optional)	$50-500	Pay per use
Total	$100-700	Unlimited users

For 100 users, General Bots costs roughly 1-2% of typical cloud licensing while providing equivalent or better functionality.

Migration Approach

Phase 1: Assessment

Inventory current service usage and map to General Bots equivalents. Most organizations find complete feature coverage for core productivity scenarios.

Phase 2: Parallel Deployment

Run General Bots alongside existing services during transition. Configure identity federation between Zitadel and existing directory services.

Phase 3: Data Migration

Use provided migration tools and APIs:

' Example: Migrate files from external storage
files = GET "https://api.storage.example/files"
FOR EACH file IN files
    content = DOWNLOAD file.url
    WRITE "/" + file.name, content
NEXT file

Phase 4: Cutover

Redirect DNS, update client configurations, and deprecate cloud subscriptions.

What You Gain

Data Sovereignty - Your data stays on your infrastructure. No third-party access, no cross-border data concerns.

Cost Control - Predictable infrastructure costs instead of per-user licensing that scales with your organization.

Customization - Full source code access. Modify, extend, and integrate as needed.

AI Integration - Native LLM support without additional licensing. Use any provider or run models locally.

Automation Power - BASIC scripting provides more flexibility than visual flow builders with no per-automation limits.

No Vendor Lock-in - Open standards (IMAP, CalDAV, S3, OIDC) mean your data is always portable.

Migration Resources

General Bots provides tools and documentation for smooth migration:

• Import utilities for common data formats
• API compatibility layers for gradual transition
• Identity federation for single sign-on during migration
• Data validation tools to verify migration completeness

Summary

General Bots delivers enterprise productivity features without enterprise pricing:

• 100% API coverage for core productivity services
• Self-hosted deployment with full data sovereignty
• No per-user licensing fees
• Native AI integration without additional cost
• More powerful automation with BASIC scripting
• Open source with full code access

The choice between cloud and self-hosted depends on organizational priorities. For those valuing control, cost efficiency, and customization, General Bots delivers enterprise-grade productivity without enterprise-grade pricing.

See Also

• Quick Start - Deploy in minutes
• Keywords Reference - Full BASIC reference
• REST API Reference - Complete API documentation
• Migration Guide - Detailed migration steps