Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux. Are you on the lookout for the perfect open source email server software but haven’t a clue where to start? In this post, we’ve done all that hard work for you. There is a thorough evaluation of the top email servers in terms of performance, security and user-friendliness. There is pros, cons, and quirks of each software.
Shall we start with article Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux?
Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux
1. Postfix
Postfix, an open-source mail transfer agent (MTA). Notably, Postfix is known for its prioritization of security, ensuring confidentiality, integrity, and protection of emails. Overall, Postfix is a reliable email server that gives access to extensive configuration options.
Pros of Postfix
- Secures your email with spam filtering, TLS encryption, and a variety of authentication mechanisms.
- Allows you to handle large volumes of email traffic and adapt to growing demand.
- Vibrant and active community of users and developers.
- Customize it to meet your needs.
- Excellent email filtering options.
Cons of Postfix
- The email filtering processes is memory hungry.
- Lack of a GUI.
2. Zimbra
Zimbra, an open-source email and collaboration software. Comes with a wide selection of communication and productivity tools. Get an email, calendar, contacts, file sharing, tasks, and other collaboration features in one package. Moreover, Zimbra works with Linux and Windows and offers a web, mobile, and desktop interface. As a result, access your emails from anywhere, using any device.
Pros of Zimbra
- Wide selection of tools that enhance productivity and simplify communication.
- Access Zimbra from anywhere with a variety of platforms and devices.
- Comes with a modern user interface.
- Use Zimbra for both small organizations and large ones. It grows with your team.
- Opt for high-availability configurations that guarantee continuous access to emails and other tools.
- Comes with spam and virus filtering, encryption, and two-factor authentication to keep emails secure.
Cons of Zimbra
- Need technical expertise to set up Zimbra.
- Limitations when you want to integrate third-party tools or customize the functionality.
3. iRedMail
iRedMail is designed to simplify the process of deploying a feature-rich email system on Linux. In the package, you get a complete suite of reliable and widely-used software components for managing your email. Also, you get to choose where you store mail accounts between OpenLDAP, MySQL, MariaDB, and PostgreSQL. Owing to its versatility, you tailor the email system to your specific needs and preferences.
Pros of iRedMail
- Setting up a complete mail server is a straightforward process.
- Integrations with other mail server software components is seamless.
- iRedMail comes with a web-based admin panel to manage email configurations.
- Your email is secured with spam filtering, antivirus scanning, and support for SSL/TLS encryption.
Cons of iRedMail
- Customization options are limited.
- Limited official support options.
- Updates may be an issue since iRedMail depends on a bundle of various open-source tools whose updates aren’t synchronized.
- iRedMail is not built for scalability.
4. Modoboa
Designed for Linux, Modoboa provides a web based interface for managing multiple email domains, users, aliases, and other features. Additionally, it’s easy to integrate Modoboa with popular software like Dovecot and Postfix. In conclusion, Modoboa harnesses the power of Python and employs an SQL database to integrate all these components.
Pros of Modoboa
- Rich set of features, including support for multiple domains, user roles, integrated webmail, and advanced filtering capabilities.
- Clean and user-friendly web based interface.
Cons of Modoboa
- Relatively new, so it has a smaller user community than the competition.
- Lacks proper documentation.
5. Roundcube
Another choice of Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux is Roundcube. Designed to offer a seamless and intuitive email experience through a web browser. Read, compose, and organize emails efficiently, making it a versatile solution for both personal and professional use. Supports multiple email protocols, including IMAP and SMTP, allowing you to connect to various email servers. Although Roundcube is primarily developed for Linux, install and configure it to work on Windows as well.
Pros of Roundcube
- Enables you to compose emails with HTML formatting.
- With built-in spell check, Roundcube helps ensure your emails are free from spelling errors.
- Offers a convenient drag-and-drop feature, making it easy to organize your emails into folders and categories.
- Extend the functionality through third-party plugins.
- Simplifies message composition with email templates.
Cons of Roundcube
- Limited search functionality, allowing you to search for only one item at a time.
- Occasionally, Roundcube’s address book may experience occasional crashes.
- You may experience timeout issues with large mail folders.
6. Citadel
Developed with simplicity and efficiency in mind, Citadel offers a user-friendly interface and powerful features to enhance your email experience. This open-source email server runs primarily on Linux and provides a “Web 2.0” interface along with SMTP, IMAP, POP3, and GroupDAV access to its content. Compose, send, receive, and organize emails effortlessly, making communication a breeze.
Pros of Citadel
- Regular backups of documents.
- Comes with antivirus and antispam features to keep your emails and documents secure.
- User-friendly interface that makes it easier for your to manage your email.
- Good documentation.
Cons of Citadel
- Complex configuration.
- Clunky user interface.
7. SquirrelMail
SquirrelMail, one of the most renowned Linux mail servers, supports both the IMAP and SMTP protocols. Developed in PHP and released under GNU, it provides a user-friendly interface and a simple setup process. With its reliability, scalability, and efficient performance in handling large mail volumes, SquirrelMail is an ideal choice if you need a straightforward tool. It prioritizes security through features like SSL encryption and spam filtering, while seamlessly integrating with popular web hosts and platforms such as WordPress.
Pros of SquirrelMail
- Acts as an IMAP protocol proxy server, facilitating seamless email access and retrieval.
- Search and flag emails.
- SquirrelMail includes a built-in spell checker.
- User friendly interface for easy email management.
- Store and manage your email addresses in SquirrelMail’s address book feature.
Cons of SquirrelMail
- Lacks support for HTML composition.
- The user interface often gets buggy.
- No security updates since 2013.
8. Apache James
Apache James, also known as Java Apache Mail Enterprise Server, works seamlessly on both Linux and Windows environments. Its modular architecture and modern components make it a robust platform for efficient email management. Supports multiple protocols such as SMTP, POP3, LMTP, IMAP, and ManageSieve. Easy to integrate with third party systems. Other additional features are: Mailbox API, command-line admin, and extendable email processing agents, providing you with enhanced flexibility and customization options.
Pros of Apache James
- Easy to integrate with various mail clients and systems.
- Allows for flexibility and customization to meet specific email server requirements.
- Designed to run on a wide range of popular operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Designed to handle high volumes of email traffic efficiently, ensuring smooth operation even in demanding environments.
Cons of Apache James
- You may find the documentation less comprehensive or organized.
9. Mail-in-a-Box
Mail-in-a-Box is designed for individuals and small businesses who want full control over their email hosting. With Mail-in-a-Box, handle everything from sending and receiving emails to robust spam filtering and convenient webmail access. Some of its core features include automatic DNS configuration, spam filtering, grey listing, backups to Amazon S3, static website hosting, and simple SSL certificate installation.
Pros of Mail-in-a-Box
- Straightforward installation process, easy for users with limited technical knowledge.
- Offers the convenience of obtaining free TLS (SSL) certificates from Let’s Encrypt.
Cons of Mail-in-a-Box
- The user interface of Mail-in-a-Box might be considered outdated or lacking modern design elements.
10. hMailServer
hMailServer is a popular open source email server software designed for Windows and Linux. It provides a robust and feature-rich solution for managing email accounts, domains, and messaging services. It supports popular protocols like POP3, IMAP, and SMTP ensuring compatibility with various email clients. Plus, hMail Server provides essential features such as spam protection, virus scanning, and customizable email processing rules.
Setup hMail server on Azure
Setup hMailServer on AWS
Setup hMail Server on GCP
Pros of hMailServer
- Intuitive admin interface that makes it easy to set up, configure, and manage email accounts and domains.
- Comes with a flexible native rules builder to create custom rules for customizing how hMail handles your mail.
- Compatible with a wide range of email clients.
- In-built spam protection and antivirus scanning.
Cons of hMailServer
- Setting up proper security measures requires advanced knowledge and experience in email server administration.
11. Axigen
Axigen is a comprehensive email platform Linux and Windows based. Intuitive web-based interface allows you to manage emails, calendars, contacts, tasks, and more. Even better, you do all this from any device. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, Axigen offers scalability and flexibility to adapt to your growing needs. AEnjoy advanced features like integrated antivirus and antispam protection, SSL/TLS encryption, and seamless collaboration. With Axigen’s robust administration capabilities, you have full control over users, domains, and server settings.
Pros of Axigen
- Simple setup and user-friendly interface make it easy to use.
- Comes with a convenient address book for easy contact management.
- Highly configurable platform suitable for customization.
Cons of Axigen
- Availability and responsiveness of support may vary depending on the chosen support package or subscription level.
- No subscription fees depending on your plan.
12. Exim
Exim is great for a reliable, flexible, and scalable mail transfer agent (MTA). It’s widely recognized for its versatility and is commonly used on UNIX-like systems, including Linux, as the default MTA. With Exim, you have access to a wide range of advanced features and configuration options. This makes it suitable for both small-scale and large-scale email systems. Exim supports various protocols like SMTP and offers robust security measures such as access controls, TLS encryption, and spam filtering. The extensive documentation and active community support make Exim an excellent option for those seeking a customizable and powerful email server.
Pros of Exim
- Exim is a reliable, consistent, and efficient email server.
- Extensive config and customization options.
- Suitable for both small and large-scale email systems with in-built scalability.
- Comes with robust security features.
Cons of Exim
- No graphical interface for admin so you have to rely on command-line tools.
13. Dovecot
Another on our list of Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux is Dovecot. It comes with an impressive array of features that enhance email management. With support for both IMAP and POP3 protocols, users access their emails from various devices and email clients. Dovecot supports multiple mailbox storage formats, including mbox and Maildir. Fast and efficient indexing enables quick searching and retrieval of emails, even with large archives. The integration of SSL/TLS encryption ensures secure email communication, while seamless integration with anti-spam and anti-virus software enhances security and protects against malicious threats.
Pros of Dovecot
- Easy extensibility through plugins.
- Security features, including encryption, authentication, and SSL/TLS protocols.
- Handles a large number of mailboxes and seamlessly scales to meet the growing needs of your organization.
Cons of Dovecot
- Dovecot lacks an extensive built-in web interface for admin and management.
- For webmail, Dovecot requires integration with other software or services, which may add complexity to the setup.
14. Open-Xchange
Open-Xchange is a collaborative software suite combining email, calendar, contacts, and other productivity tools into a unified platform. It enhances teamwork and communication and provides a seamless and integrated environment for managing and sharing information. Works with both Linux and Windows.
Pros of Open-Xchange
- The integrated calendar feature allows you to schedule appointments, set reminders, and share your availability with colleagues.
- Supports synchronization with mobile devices to access emails on the go.
- Intuitive and user-friendly interface.
- Integration with other tools to enhance functionality is seamless.
Cons of Open-Xchange
- Limited customization options for email settings and configurations.
- Relies on other software components, such as a mail transfer agent (MTA) like Dovecot, to handle the actual email delivery and retrieval.
- Lacks advanced functionalities such as setting complex email rules or specific email filtering options.
15. MailCow
Mailcow (also known as “mailcow: dockerized”) is an open-source, self hosted mail server. It utilizes Docker containers to provide a modular and scalable architecture that allows you to deploy and maintain an email server environment. Mailcow uses tools such as Postfix, Dovecot, SpamAssassin, and Roundcube, among others, to handle various aspects of email processing, storage, spam filtering, and webmail interface.
Pros of MailCow
- Simplified setup and management due to the Dockerized architecture.
- Docker’s scalability allows Mailcow to scale seamlessly.
- Includes essential mail server components like Postfix, Dovecot, SpamAssassin, and Roundcube.
- User friendly web interface.
Cons of MailCow
- Docker introduces an additional layer of abstraction, which may impact the performance of the Mailcow containers.
- Relies on various components and dependencies, such as database systems and web servers, which need to be properly configured and compatible with the Mailcow containers.
16. Mailu
Mailu is an open-source, self-hosted email server solution that offers a simplified and flexible approach to managing your email infrastructure. Focuses on security and runs on Linux-based systems, Mailu comes with features like SMTP, IMAP, POP3, webmail access, spam filtering, and more.
Pros of Mailu
- Straightforward setup process and intuitive web interface.
- Customize various aspects of their email server, including spam filtering, antivirus settings, authentication mechanisms, and more.
- Prioritizes security and privacy, incorporating features like SSL/TLS encryption, DKIM signing, SPF validation, and advanced spam filtering.
Cons of Mailu
- Mailu’s web interface focuses on functionality rather than visual aesthetics.
- Limited out-of-the-box integrations with third-party services and applications.
- Setting up and configuring Mailu is challenging for users with limited experience.
17. Haraka
Haraka is an open source and highly scalable email server software running on Unix systems (Linux and macOS). Harnessing the power of JavaScript, Haraka delivers exceptional performance, making it an ideal choice for handling large volumes of email. With its modular design and extensive plugin support, you customize and enhance Haraka to meet your specific email server needs. Enjoy features like spam filtering, TLS encryption, and support for various protocols.
Pros of Haraka
- Exceptional speed and scalability. Suitable for high-volume email environments.
- Easy customization and extension with plugins.
- Lightweight architecture ensures efficient email processing, optimizing resource usage and delivering fast performance.
- Supports various email protocols such as SMTP, ESMTP, and LMTP, ensuring compatibility with different email clients and systems.
Cons of Haraka
- You might need JavaScript programming experience to set up Haraka.
- The extensibility of Haraka heavily relies on plugins.
- Focuses on command-line interaction so you won’t have access to a GUI.
18. Poste.io
Poste.io combines all the essential email server components, from SMTP to webmail, into a cohesive, easy-to-use package. Easily configure and manage multiple domains and users. Also, get access to advanced features like spam filtering, antivirus protection, and secure communication through TLS encryption.
Pros of Poste.io
- Spam filtering and antivirus scanning capabilities.
- Provides secure communication through TLS encryption.
Cons of Poste.io
- May not scale as efficiently for large-scale email environments or organizations with significant email traffic.
- No command-line or advanced configuration options.
19. SOGo
SOGo, short for Scalable OpenGroupware.org, combines email, calendar, contacts, and task management into a comprehensive email suite for Linux. With support for industry-standard protocols like CalDAV, CardDAV, and IMAP, SOGo seamlessly integrates with your favourite email clients and devices. Access your emails, schedules, and contacts from anywhere through its intuitive web-based interface.
Pros of SOGo
- SOGo is scalable, allowing it to accommodate the growing needs of organizations.
- Seamless integration with Mozilla Thunderbird and Lightning using the SOGo Connector and SOGo Integrator.
- Offers ActiveSync compatibility, allowing synchronization of email, contacts, calendars, and tasks with mobile devices.
- Modular and extensible architecture to add custom features and integrate with external systems through APIs.
Cons of SOGo
- SOGo can be resource-intensive.
- Limited out-of-the-box integrations with third-party applications.
20. Mailpiler
Mailpiler is a Linux-based email archiving and retrieval software that facilitates secure storage, indexing, and easy access to email messages. Easily locate and retrieve specific email messages, saving you valuable time and effort. Even better, you have access to advanced features like comprehensive search capabilities, tamper-proof storage, and deduplication. As a result, enforce retention policies, comply with legal requirements, and efficiently handle e-discovery requests.
Pros of Mailpiler
- Offers fast and responsive email archiving and retrieval.
- Handles large volumes of email data, providing scalability as your email archives grow.
- Advanced search features enable precise and quick retrieval of specific emails based on various criteria.
- Helps you ensure compliance with data retention laws and data privacy and protection regulations.
Cons of Mailpiler
- Configuring Mailpiler may require technical expertise.
- Customization options are limited, restricting the ability to tailor it to unique organizational needs.
Thank you for reading Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux. We shall conclude the article.
Top 20 Best Open Source Email Servers for Windows / Linux Conclusion
Choosing the right email server for your organization is crucial for efficient communication and productivity. In our comprehensive post, we have highlighted the pros and cons of each email server, giving you valuable insights to make an informed decision. Whether you prioritize reliability, scalability, security, user-friendliness, or specific functionalities, there is an open-source email server that aligns with your requirements.
The 15 top free and open-source email servers for Windows with setup guides, tutorials, videos, and instructions.
Written by
Forward Email Team
Time to read
Less than 5 minutes< 5 minutes
Email Server Screenshots
⭐ Recommended
Forward Email
⭐ Recommended
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Forward Email is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Privacy-focused encrypted email for you. We are the go-to email service for hundreds of thousands of creators, developers, and businesses. Send and receive email as you@yourdomain.com with your custom domain or use one of ours.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Docker Mailserver
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Docker Mailserver is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «docker-mailserver, or DMS for short, is a production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.).«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Maddy Mail Server
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Maddy Mail Server is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Maddy Mail Server implements all functionality required to run a e-mail server.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Mail-in-a-Box
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Mail-in-a-Box is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Take back control of your email with this easy-to-deploy mail server in a box.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
mailcow
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
mailcow is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «mailcow: dockerized is an open source groupware/email suite based on docker.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Dovecot
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Dovecot is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Dovecot is an excellent choice for both small and large installations.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
WildDuck
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
WildDuck is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «WildDuck is a modern mail server software for IMAP and POP3.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Exim
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Exim is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Exim is a message transfer agent (MTA) originally developed at the University of Cambridge for use on Unix systems connected to the Internet.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Postfix
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Postfix is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «It is Wietse Venema’s mail server that started life at IBM research as an alternative to the widely-used Sendmail program.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
chasquid
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
chasquid is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «chasquid is an SMTP (email) server with a focus on simplicity, security, and ease of operation.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Haraka
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Haraka is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «A modern, high performance, flexible SMTP server.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Postal
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
Postal is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Postal is a complete and fully featured mail server for use by websites & web servers.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
ZoneMTA
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
ZoneMTA is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «ZoneMTA provides granular control over routing different messages. «
Screenshot by Forward Email
keila
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
keila is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Open Source Newsletter Tool.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
listmonk
- IMAP
- SMTP
- MX
- SQLite Encrypted
listmonk is an open-source email server for Windows. The official description from its website says, «Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager.«
Screenshot by Forward Email
Email Server Comparison
(Scroll to the right to see entire table)
| Name | Description | Screenshot | IMAP | MX | SMTP | SQLite Encrypted | Website | Wikipedia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forward Email ⭐ Recommended | Privacy-focused encrypted email for you. We are the go-to email service for hundreds of thousands of creators, developers, and businesses. Send and receive email as you@yourdomain.com with your custom domain or use one of ours. | Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Website | |
| Docker Mailserver | docker-mailserver, or DMS for short, is a production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.). | Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | |
| Maddy Mail Server | Maddy Mail Server implements all functionality required to run a e-mail server. | Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | |
| Mail-in-a-Box | Take back control of your email with this easy-to-deploy mail server in a box. | Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | Wikipedia |
| mailcow | mailcow: dockerized is an open source groupware/email suite based on docker. | Screenshot | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | |
| Dovecot | Dovecot is an excellent choice for both small and large installations. | Screenshot | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | Wikipedia |
| WildDuck | WildDuck is a modern mail server software for IMAP and POP3. | Screenshot | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | |
| Exim | Exim is a message transfer agent (MTA) originally developed at the University of Cambridge for use on Unix systems connected to the Internet. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | Wikipedia |
| Postfix | It is Wietse Venema’s mail server that started life at IBM research as an alternative to the widely-used Sendmail program. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | Wikipedia |
| chasquid | chasquid is an SMTP (email) server with a focus on simplicity, security, and ease of operation. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | Website | |
| Haraka | A modern, high performance, flexible SMTP server. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | Wikipedia |
| Postal | Postal is a complete and fully featured mail server for use by websites & web servers. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | |
| ZoneMTA | ZoneMTA provides granular control over routing different messages. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | |
| keila | Open Source Newsletter Tool. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Website | |
| listmonk | Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager. | Screenshot | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Website |
Notice of Non-Affiliation and Disclaimer: We are not affiliated, associated, authorized, endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with Docker Mailserver, Maddy Mail Server, Mail-in-a-Box, mailcow, Dovecot, WildDuck, Exim, Postfix, chasquid, Haraka, Postal, ZoneMTA, keila, and listmonk, or any of its subsidiaries or its affiliates. The name Docker Mailserver, Maddy Mail Server, Mail-in-a-Box, mailcow, Dovecot, WildDuck, Exim, Postfix, chasquid, Haraka, Postal, ZoneMTA, keila, and listmonk as well as related names, marks, emblems, and images are registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Informative, Mailing Solution
Comparison of Best Open Source Email Server Platform | Windows & Linux
Approved By Sameer Yadav
Published On
September 19th, 2022
Reading Time 8 Minutes Reading
If you want an answer to the free open source email server, then your search will stop here. This blog gives you details about the best 11 open source email server software for Windows & Linux.
Ask For Open Source Server
With a click of the ‘Send’ button, you can send an email from one point to another in a second. But have you ever think about how it has to be done?
The answer is straightforward; it is done with the help of a Mail Server, also known as an Email server.
So, how mail server works?
Long story in short, when users click on the Send button via mail client. The mail server works like a post office that categorized all the addresses and sent the right mail to the designated place.
And if we analyzed the mail servers’ discipline, there are many open source email servers with outstanding potentials in the past few years.
Today in this blog, we will discuss some of the best Open Source Email Server software that you can go for it. As well as, the questions that are trending on the internet related to open source email software;
- List of Open-source email servers with webmail.
- List of best Open-source email servers for windows.
- List of free Open-source email servers for Linux.
- List of Open-source email software support ActiveSync.
The people who don’t about What is Open Source?
So the term open source means something people can modify and share because it is designed and develop for publicly accessible.
Let’s dive into the comparison of the top open-source webmail server.
#11 Open Source Secure Email Server Platform
Here we have listed the popular email server which peaks the open-source market.
- ZIMBRA
- OPEN – XCHANGE
- HORDE
- MODOBOA
- SQUIRRELMAIL
- KOLAB
- ZENTYAL
- ZARAFA
- APACHE JAMES
- SENDMAIL
- hMAIL
#Server 1: Open Source Zimbra Mail Server
While searching for the best free open source email server, you will come across with name – Zimbra Collaboration Suite. It is one of the most popular mail servers because;
Ask for Zimbra Server Ask From Experts About Zimbra
1. Being an open-source server, all the documentation and innovation has been created and tested by their open source community.
2. Enterprise-compatible email server and client solution.
3. Facilitates features like Task Management System, Document Management System, Calendar Management System, Search Option that provides an ease to search all core applications.
4. It is cross-platform and supports all the major Operating Systems.
5. Also known as the most secure open-source email server as it has integrated antivirus malware protection.
6. Zimbra is available in two modes – one offers an open-source, and the second is a commercially supported version. You can check the comparison between these in this write-up – Difference Between Zimbra Open Source & Network Edition.
7. Zimbra is considered as the Best Zoho Alternative , Open-Xchange Alternative , Xeams Alternative , G Suite Alternative , Horde Groupware Alternative , Lotus Notes Database Alternative, Apache James Alternative, iMail Server Alternative, mDaemon Alternative, iRedMail Alternatives, hMail Server Alternative, Amazon WorkMail Alternative, Qmail Alternative, kerio Connect Alternative, Axigen Mail Server Alternative, Zarafa Alternative, Icewarp Alternative , Agorum Core Competitor & Exchange Server Alternative email solution.
If you are looking for Zimbra open-source hosting, then NetForChoice is the best place for you. We are the leading Tier-4 Data center Company in India. Our impeccable, flexible Zimbra Linux Mail Server is efficient and provides a secure & smooth email communication Flow.
#Server 2: Open – Xchange
Open – Xchange is a feature-rich email server that is available in two different variants. First, the subscription-based paid version, and the second one is the free community version.
This mail server has features like Open – Xchange app suite, Data Center, OX data, inbuilt privacy, and security options. In addition, it has a customizable dashboard that gives users an interactive UI. OX open-source email server is available for both Android and iOS.
# Server 3: Horde Webmail Server
It is a free open source enterprise-level, browser-based communication suite. With the help of this open-source email server, users can easily send, read, and organize emails message also manage and share calendars, contacts, and notes beyond their network.
Being an open-source free email server, it provides various features such as IMAP and POP3 webmail client, Messages Filter, Spell check, built-in Attachment viewer, Graphical emoticons, and the option to download attachments in a ZIP file, and many others.
#Server 4: Modoboa
In the lineup of the open-source email servers, Modoboa is a well-known name. However, it is coming for a Linux platform with additional features such as built-in monitoring, administrator panel, built-in calendar, along with standard protocols like DKIM or DMARC.
Modoboa is designed and developed in Python with the help of Django, jQuery, and Bootstrap framework. It also offers SSL and TLS certificates for safe and secure email service.
#Server 5: SquirrelMail Server
It is also an open-source web-based email client and proxy server for the IMAP protocol.
The best part about Squirrel Mail is that it has very few requirements and is easy to configure. Therefore, it is best for small-sized organizations that are interested in an email server.
It comes with all the features that any users want in any email client, including strong MIME support, contacts, and folder manipulation.
#Server 6: Kolab
It is a free & open-source Groupware suite. It comprises the Server and Client components.
The Kolab Client includes KDE PIM-Suite Kontact, Roundcube web frontend, Mozilla Thunderbird, and Mozilla Lightning with SyncKolab extension and Microsoft Outlook with proprietary Kolab-Connector Plugins.
It uses IMAP protocol for email messages, contact, and calendar entries.
#Server 7: Zentyal
An open-source email and groupware solution created on the foundation of Ubuntu Linux.
Supported Email & Groupware protocols – ActiveSync, SMTP, POP, IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV, and Active Directory.
– It is available in two variants;
- Zentyal Server for SMBs
- Zentyal Cloud for Hosting Providers.
Offer compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server, support for MS Outlook 2007, 2010, inbuilt Antivirus and Antispam, and much more.
#Server 8: Zarafa
An open-source groupware application. It provided email storage on the server’s side and facilitated the Ajax-based mail client WebAccess and an HTML5-based WebApp.
The SOAP technology is used to communicate between the email server and the client.
Kopano has replaced Zarafa.
#Server 9: Apache James
Apache James is also known as Java Apache Mail Enterprise Server.
It is an open-source SMTP & POP3 mail transfer agent and purely NNTP news server written in JAVA.
#Server 10: Sendmail
A well-known free and open-source software, engineered for the internetwork email routing.
Support SMTP protocol. It is available in the form of free software and proprietary software.
The stable release of Sendmail is 8.16.1 and supports Cross-platform.
#Server 11: hMail
A free email server for Windows platform developed by Martin Knafve.
Support IMAP, POP3, and SMTP email protocols. The email messages are stored in the MIME format on a raw disk.
Facilitate features like multiple-domain support, aliases, basic mailing lists, built-in SpamAssassin Integration, SquirrelMail & Roundcube for webmail.
Open Source Email Server with Webmail
It is the best thing when the mail server also has its client. Numerous open-source email servers facilitates webmail. The most common are listed in the table.
| Open Source Mail Server | Webmail Support |
|---|---|
| Zarafa | Yes |
| Zimbra | Yes |
| Zentyal | Yes |
| Open-Xchange | Yes |
| Agorum Core | Yes |
| Citadel | Yes |
| Courier Mail Server | Yes |
| hMail Server | Yes |
| Kolab | Yes |
Table 1.1 – List of Open-Source Mail Server With Webmail
Open Source ActiveSync Mail Server
Before getting the list, first, have a brief about ActiveSync and Z-Push protocol.
What is Active Sync?
– A mobile data synchronization app engineered by Microsoft.
– Enables a mobile device (PDA , Windows mobile, Windows CE, BlackBerry, iPhone, Palm OS, Symbian platforms) to be synchronized with either a computer system or a server running a compatible product.
What is Z-Push?
– Z-push is an open-source application.
– Develop to synchronize ActiveSync compatible devices such as mobile phones tablets, and Microsoft Outlook 2013.
| Open Source Mail Software | ActiveSync / z-Push Support |
|---|---|
| Axigen [Free Mail Server Available] | ActiveSync |
| Kolab | ActiveSync |
| Open-Xchange | ActiveSync |
| Zentyal | ActiveSync |
| Zimbra | ActiveSync |
| Zarafa | z-push |
| Kopano | z-push |
Table 1.2 – Open Source Email Servers Support ActiveSync / z-Push List
Final Say on Open Source Email Server
If you seek the most secure open-source email server for your organization, this blog will help you in various ways. Here we have discussed the best 11 open source email servers for Windows & Linux platforms and their features. In addition, the list of open-source email clients and open source email server support ActiveSync are also mentioned for a clear view. So read this blog thoroughly before choosing any open-source mail server. Moreover, if you are still confused about the email server and client, send your questions to us. Our expert will reply as earliest as possible – Query Form.
Table of Contents
- Overview
- Installation
- Choose the Database
- Connect hMailServer to the Database
- Configuration
- Setup the MX Records
- Add a domain
- Configure E-Mail Accounts, Aliases and Distribution lists
- Accounts
- Aliases
- Distribution lists
- Enable POP3 and/or IMAP protocols
- Enable the SMTP protocol
- Setup the access permission rules
- Configure deliveries
- Require SMTP authentication
- Conclusions
Being able to send and receive e-mail message without relying to external services is often an handy feature of any dedicated server, be it a dedicated/hosted one or a VPS/cloud-based solution. In order to do so, you would want to consider the most widely used MHS (acronym for message-handling services) software available for your operating system of choose:
- Exim (Unix-like, free/GNU)
- Postfix (Unix-like, free/IBM Public License)
- Sendmail (Unix-like, free/BSD License)
- Microsoft Exchange (Windows, closed-source/commercial)
Believe it or not, these players handle over the 80% of the e-mail traffic on a world-wide scale. You might also have noticed that they are either Unix only or Commercial, meaning that if you’re using a Windows server you’ve got to pay another bill. If you’re up for it, here’s a link to buy a Microsoft Exchange: if you’re looking for a way to save some cache you could give a chance to hSendMail, a not-yet-so-much-known Open Source Mail Server for Windows developed by Martin Knafve — recently released upon AGPL license -which this post is mostly about.
Overview
In this post we’ll test the 5.6 hMailServer build — january 2015 — which is fully compatible with all Windows server and desktop major versions and builds from XP/2003 to Windows Server 2012 R2 and Windows 10. The software is bundled with a a really good pack of features: it supports all the MTA protocols & standards (POP3, SMTP, IMAP), a web-based Administration and/or e-mail handling management GUI available in all major languages, an extensive and well-written documentation available either online and offline, plus a lot of advanced features such as:
- Virtual domains
- Built-in backup
- SSL encryption
- Anti-spam
- Anti-virus
- Scripting
- Server-side rules
- Multilingual
- Routing
- MX backup
- Multihoming
- SQL backend
On top of that, thanks to its highly-customizable configuration settings and interface, you can also configure it as the default WebMail client for some of the most-used Ajax/PHP/.NET e-mail handling web-based frameworks (RoundCube, SquirrelMail, etc.). Not bad at all, isn’t it?
Installation
First thing you’ve to do is to download the latest version of hMailServer from the Download section of its official site. The installation is straight and forward, but in case you need help you can take a look to the official documentation’s installation guide chapter. Pay close attention when the setup wizard will prompt you to select the Database type you’ll want to use:
Choose the Database
As of today, hMailServer v5.6 currently supports four different database types:
- Microsoft SQL Server (2000 o superiore)
- Microsoft SQL Server Compact Edition (CE)
- MySQL 4 or higher (5.x being totally fine)
- PostgreSQL
The database of choice will be used to store some configuration options and, most importantly, the message base with all their indexes: that’s why it’s really important to choose something reliable, expecially if you’re setting up a production environment. The authors, other than reminding us that Microsoft SQL Server CE is not allowed to host commercial products, suggest the use of Microsoft SQL Server or PostgreSQL for their performance, security and overall integrity benchmarks. Our setup, proudly working since many years, proudly uses a 5.x build of the standard MySQL Community Edition: we never regretted that choice, so we can’t do anything but suggest you to use that aswell if you’re not fond of the two big giants above.
At the end of the installation process you will be asked to enter an administration password: this password will be prompted upon all connections from the administration tool to the hMailServer local instance:
Choose a well-suited password and write it down in a safe place, then double-click on the hMailServer Administrator icon you’ll find in your desktop and/or Startup panel. You’ll be prompted to select the instance where you wish to connect to, since the administration interface can be used to connect to multiple hMailServer installations as long as they are reachable via DCOM/RPC. If you only need accessing the one you just installed on localhost you won’t have any trouble finding it:
Connect hMailServer to the Database
If you’ve chosen MS SQL Compact Edition you can skip this paragraph, as you won’t be asked to do anything: otherwise, you’ll need to go through a small wizard to allow hMailServer connecting to your DB type of choice. First thing you’ll be asked for is if you want to use an existing DB or create a new one, then you’ll be asked for the connection parameters: ensure to select an username with the proper rights: at least read, write, create/drop tables and, if you issued for a new database to be created, create database.
Configuration
Configuring hMailServer is quite simple: the GUI interface is split upon a number of section, each one of them dedicated to a single aspect, protocol or job type. In the following paragraph we’ll dig through the most important ones in order to build a fully-featured Mail Server which will be capable of handling the most common task. First thing we’ll have to do is to setup the mail transportation related sections: POP3, IMAP and SMTP for one or more domains you own. In order to do that you’ll need to:
- setup the MX Records for each domain, basically routing them to your server.
- create an entry for that domain to hMailServer’s configuration.
- configure the mail boxes, the alias and/or the distribution lists using the hMailServer GUI interface.
- enable the SMTP, POP3 and/or IMAP protocols in hMailServer.
Setup the MX Records
In order to be able to manage the e-mail directed to your domain(s) you need to properly handle their MX Records, which basically are the informations received by the other mail servers when they lookup your domain in order to see where to actually route your messages: if you rely upon external, third-party e-mail handling services — such as the one from your hosting provider — your domain MX Records will be configured to point on them. In order to edit your MX Records, enter in the DNS management panel for your domain and add (or change) their IP.
Once you do that, you will have to wait some hours (usually 12-24) to have your changes propagated throughout the whole internet. After this time, each and every e-mail addressed to @yourdomain.ext will be handled over your server.
Add a domain
Go to the Welcome screen and click on Add Domain… to bring a tabbed settings panel into view: insert the hostname of the domain you want to configure into the General tab (hostname.com format): you can also configure one or more domain aliases — as long as you need them. Once you’re done, click on the Save button to the lower-right: a new entry will be created, along with three sub-folders for the Accounts, Aliases and Distribution lists related to this domain.
Configure E-Mail Accounts, Aliases and Distribution lists
For each domain defined under the the Domains node you’ll be able to create as many Accounts, Aliases and Distribution Lists as you want to. Let’s see how each one of them actually works.
Accounts
Each Account is basically a dedicated mailbox in the format of [email protected]: once created, the server will accept e-mail messages sent to this address and store them into its database. For each Account name you will also be asked to define a password, which will be used to grant access to hMailServer‘s POP3 and/or IMAP services to receive and send e-mail. Adding accounts is basically what you need to do for each and every e-mail you want to create for yourself and/or for any of your users.
Aliases
An alias, just like the name suggests, is nothing more than an alternative name for an existing account (and its related e-mail address). As soon as you create an alias and bind it to an account, each e-mail sent to [email protected] will we accepted by the server and routed to the [email protected] address. Creating one or more alias is often an excellent way to manage e-mail received by multiple senders (yourName.amazon@, yourName.ebay@, yourName.paypal@ and so on) and still receive them using a single, centralized e-mail address.
For further information about e-mail aliases we strongly suggest you to read this Wikipedia page.
Please notice that hMailServer allows you to create aliases for any e-mail address, alias or distribution list (see below), including those not managed by it: meaning that you’ll be able to create aliases for your gmail address, just to make an example.
Distribution lists
A Distribution list is rather similar to an alias, except that it routes a copy of each received messages to multiple e-mail addresses instead of just one: those among you that are familiar with how mailing-lists work will find that Distribution lists are pretty much that. You will be also able to choose who can send messages to the list: hMailServer supports three configuration modes: Public (everyone can send messages, including non-subscribers), Membership (subscribers only) or Announcements (only a single e-mail address). To keep it simple, use Public if you need to host an open, support-based mailing-lists, Announcements for newsletters or similar one-way-only communications, and Membership for any other scenario.
Enable POP3 and/or IMAP protocols
The last step we need to handle is to ensure that POP3 and/or IMAP are properly configured. Open the hMailServer’s management interface and expand the Protocols node:
Ensure that the checkboxes near to the protocols you want to activate for your users are checked. In case you also want to activate the SMTP server (to send e-mail messages) you can take the chance to enable such protocol now (see below). For additional info regarding POP3, IMAP and SMTP procotols we strongly suggest reading this post from the hMailServer official docs.
Enable the SMTP protocol
Let’s now see how we can configure hMailServer to send our e-mail messages using SMTP. Here are the required steps to perform:
- Enable the SMTP protocol (if you didn’t do that already)
- Setup the access permission rules.
Open the hMailServer administration interface and go to the Protocols section: ensure that the SMTP protocol is enabled.
Setup the access permission rules
When activating an SMTP service, it is essential to correctly set the access permissions to the service in order to prevent your server from falling prey to spam-bots or other automatic mechanisms in the perennial search for poorly protected systems through which to convey potentially inappropriate e-mails.
Open the hMailServer management panel and go to Advanced -> IP Ranges. Expand the item with a click of the mouse and check the settings related to IP addresses inside the local network (localhost) or coming from outside (internet). Besides setting specific IP classes you can also enable or disable POP3, IMAP and SMTP services selectively for each of them.
Configure deliveries
The four checkboxes in the Allow deliveries from section allow you to configure the e-mail forwarding permissions. In detail:
- Local to Local allows (or denies) sending emails from and sent to internal mailboxes (i.e. managed by / configured on hMailServer).
- Local to External allows (or denies) sending emails from internal mailboxes (see above) and sent to external mailboxes (or any other mailbox not managed by the local hMailServer instance).
- External to Local allows (or denies) sending emails from external mailboxes and sent to internal mailboxes.
- External to External allows (or denies) sending emails from and sent to external mailboxes.
Require SMTP authentication
Similarly, the four checkboxes present in the Require SMTP authentication section will allow you to request or not the need for authentication for the four possibilities described in the previous paragraph.
As we can see, hMailServer allows you to configure a different management of the Allow deliveries from and Require SMTP authentication permissions for each range of IPs that we are going to define: this feature is particularly convenient in some situations, for example when you need to configure a SMTP server that allows unauthenticated access for the use of the PHP mail() function: which, as many will know, does not allow you to specify authorization credentials, a problem I addressed in a previous article and with respect to which hMailServer, if properly confiured, it represents a possible solution.
IMPORTANT: By default, hMailServer does not require SMTP authentication to send mail received from a service that shows up with local IP address (localhost, 127.0.0.1), as can be seen by looking at the screenshot shown above. As for the services that connect with any external IP, it is usually a good idea to disable authentication if the recipient is an internal mailbox (i.e. managed by / configured on hMailServer) so as to allow external SMTP servers to send e-mails to the local instance: it is strongly recommended — or better to say, a duty — to request authentication for any sending to external mailboxes (local to external, external to external) so as to prevent our server from be used by spam services or malicious scripts to convey potentially unwanted messages.
Conclusions
That’s it for now: the overview provided should allow you to configure the service with all its basic functionality. For any other configuration needs I suggest referring to the excellent hMailServer official documentation.
— 11 min read
Table of Content
A mail server is a software package that regulate sending and receiving emails using email protocols over the internet.
Mostly, we are using several email services like Gmail, Outlook and ProtonMail. However, enterprise often require using their infrastructure services.
Many users and companies tend to have their mail servers to own and maintain their data and keep everything in their control.
Some users may look for an open-source self-hosted webmail client, for those, we got you covered with this list: Top 15 Self-hosted open-source free webmail clients.
Self-hosted Open-source Mail servers can be used as a base for email marketing solutions. However, some email marketing solutions have integrated mail servers and others work well with other mail server. Therefore, you can read our article: 12 open-source free self-hosted email marketing solutions.
Mail servers also perform a great rule with many groupware solutions, here you can check the 13 Top Open-source Groupware solutions, as most of them work seamlessly with self-hosted mail servers.
In this article, we collected the most active and usable open-source mail servers for enterprise and personal use. By the way, If you want to read more articles about development, you can visit Thoughtsoncloud.
Open-source email servers for enterprise and personal use
1- iRedMail
iRedMail is a free open-source popular mail server package. It has a great portion of open-source email servers running online. It runs on Linux servers like Red Hat, Ubuntu, CentOS, Debian, FreeBSD and OpenBSD.
iRedMail uses secure connections with full support for POP3, IMAP, SMTP. Emails are encrypted using TLS.
It features a web client and supports external webmail clients like RoundCube WebMail app. It also helps users to manage calendars (CalDav), address books (CardDav).
Server admins can choose their favorite database store backend like MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL and OpenLDAP.
Furthermore, iRedMail has a built-in antispam and antivirus support with third-party extensions like SpamAssassin, ClamAV, SPF and DKIM. All features and configurations are easy to control through a web admin panel, but it comes in two versions a free open-source community version and a Pro version.
iRedMail: an Open-source Mail Server for enterprise
iRedMail is a complete open-source mail suite that include a mail server, and a webmail client. It is built for enterprise use as it support Calendars management and sync, Contact Sync ActiveSync, CalDav and CardDav and more. iRedMail plays well with the popular webmail client and groupware: SOGo G…
MEDevel.comHamza Mousa
2- hMailServer
hMailServer is our second open-source mail server pick, it is a full-featured email server with similar features like iRedMail, but it works only for Windows Servers.
hMailServer supports the common email protocols (IMAP, SMTP and POP3). It offers a spam protection with 3rd party anti-spamming systems like ASSP and SpamAssassin.
Webmail clients like RoundCube and SquirrelMail are completely supported with hMailServer.
hMailServer: Open-source Mail server for Windows systems
Mail Servers is a software which handles incoming and outgoing mail messages. It often uses SMTP protocol to send and handle outgoing messages and IMAP and POP3 protocols to receive messages. Although, we have a dozen of open-source mail servers for Linux servers, we don’t have enough mail server p…
MEDevel.comHamza Mousa
3- Postal
Postal is a complete Libre free mail server for enterprise. It is the open-source competitor for SendGrid, Mailgun and Postmark.
Postal supports all known protocols, comes integrated with spam and virus protection. It offers a developer-friendly API.
If you want to know all Postal mail server features, we got you covered with a snap review for it here.
Postal free Open-source Mail Server for Enterprise
Postal is free Libre mail server for enterprise. It is the open-source equivalent and competitor for Mailgun, SendGrid, and Postmark. Postal mail server is an ideal solution for enterprise, companies which require to have their mail server for privacy, security or cost reasons. It comes with a fan…
MEDevel.comHamza Mousa
GitHub — postalserver/postal: ✉️ A fully featured open source mail delivery platform for incoming & outgoing e-mail
✉️ A fully featured open source mail delivery platform for incoming & outgoing e-mail — GitHub — postalserver/postal: ✉️ A fully featured open source mail delivery platform for incoming & o…
GitHubpostalserver
4- James
James is an enterprise-specific open-source mail server that built as a cross-platform system with Java and Scala.
It supports all popular email protocols like SMTP, LMTP, POP3, and IMAP, with ManageSieve, JMAP protocols as well.
James offers 3 ways to administrate the system: REST, JMX and Command Line. It offers different options for storage which include: Cassandra DB, MySQL, MariaDB, HSQLDB and Elasticsearch.
GitHub — apache/james-project: Emails at the heart of your business logic!
Emails at the heart of your business logic! Contribute to apache/james-project development by creating an account on GitHub.
GitHubapache
5- Haraka
Haraka is an open-source SMTP server built with Node.js. It is highly scalable, extensible through plugins.
Haraka runs seamlessly on Windows and Linux servers, and it requires minimal configuration.
Haraka SMTP Email Server
Haraka is an open source SMTP server written in Node.js. Haraka is fast, scalable, and extensible.
6- Modoboa
Modoboa is a free open-source easy-to-install email server and engine for enterprise. It has what takes to create a fully functional email server similar to commercial services.
It supports multiple domains per single setup, calendar management, address book manager, long list of administration tools that includes monitoring, real-time statistics, security configuration, users and permission manager. It also comes with a webmail client and multilingual support.
Modoboa
Modoboa is an open source email server including a modern and simplified Web User Interface.
ModoboaAntoine Nguyen
7- DOVECOT
DOVECOT is a minimal open-source IMAP and POP3 email server for Linux/ Unix operating systems. It supports different authentication methods, requires minimal memory, supports Postfix and Exim and offers free migrations from other email servers.
DOVECOT features include shared mailboxes with a dozen of other features.
Dovecot | The Secure IMAP server
Logo
8- MailSlurper
Yet another SMTP mail server for teams and software development. MailSlurper is a lightweight package for personal use or software developers who want to write email-centric applications.
It features a responsive web-based admin panel, email attachments, SSL support, basic user authentications and runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS.
About | MailSlurper
MailSlurper
9- WildDuck
An open-source mail server for IMAP and POP3. WildDuck supports large numbers of emails with configurable large quotes because it scales horizontally.
It offers two and multifactor authentications and released as an open-source under European Union Public License.
WildDuck is built on top of Node.js, Redis and MongoDB.
WildDuck Mail Server – Self hosted modern mail server
WildDuck Mail Server Self hosted modern mail server
10- Cuttlefish
If you are looking for an enterprise freshly developed mail server, then Cuttlefish mail server is a great option. It comes with all required infrastructure to run a seamless email server with a fancy well-designed web email client and web admin dashboard.
Cuttlefish requires Ruby, PostgreSQL, Redis and Postfix.
GitHub — mlandauer/cuttlefish: Transactional email server with a lovely web interface
Transactional email server with a lovely web interface — GitHub — mlandauer/cuttlefish: Transactional email server with a lovely web interface
GitHubmlandauer
11- Cyrus Mail Server
Cyrus IMAP is a free open-source email, contacts and calendar server that offers speed, security, and support for dozens of protocols and authentication methods.
It is a rich configurable mail-server with a large set of options and third-party integrations.
Cyrus is recommended for enterprise and companies which offers emails to their customers.
What is Cyrus IMAP? — Cyrus IMAP 3.8.0 documentation
12- Mailu
Mailu is a lightweight but features-rich email server with minimal setup thanks to its Docker image.
Mailu features IMAP, IMAP+, SMTP support, webmail access, multiple admins, quote configuration and forces TLS for external integration. Furthermore, Mailu offers a built-in antivirus scanner and several antispam methods that include external services.
GitHub — Mailu/Mailu: Insular email distribution — mail server as Docker images
Insular email distribution — mail server as Docker images — GitHub — Mailu/Mailu: Insular email distribution — mail server as Docker images
GitHubMailu
13- Mail-in-a-Box
Mail-in-a-Box is a small minimal mail server package for individuals to help maintain their privacy. It is easy-to-deploy as described by its developers and supports SMTP (postfix), IMAP (Devecot), CardDAV/ CalDAV, and Exchange ActiveSync servers.
Moreover, Mail-in-a-Box has antispam features, backup options, plays well with Linux firewall (UFW). It also comes with a dozen of security-focused features.
Mail-in-a-Box works well with webmail like Roundcube, address book clients like Nextcloud contact clients and offers a well-designed easy-to-use control panel.
GitHub — mail-in-a-box/mailinabox: Mail-in-a-Box helps individuals take back control of their email by defining a one-click, easy-to-deploy SMTP+everything else server: a mail server in a box.
Mail-in-a-Box helps individuals take back control of their email by defining a one-click, easy-to-deploy SMTP+everything else server: a mail server in a box. — GitHub — mail-in-a-box/mailinabox: Ma…
GitHubmail-in-a-box
14- Salmon
Salmon is a free open-source mail server for developers who wish to create a robust and complex server-based mail applications.
It is released under GNU GPLv3 and works seamlessly with Python web frameworks and libraries like Django and SQLAlchemy.
Salmon — A Python Mail Server — Salmon 3.2.0+28.gaa4416b documentation
A Python Mail Server — Salmon 3.2.0+28.gaa4416b documentation
15- Open Trashmail
Open Trashmail is a lightweight trash mail solution for personal users. It comes with a simple web-based email client and Python-powered mail-server backend.
Unlike other heavy-duty mail servers on this list, Open Trashmail does not use any database, rather it uses flat-files for storage.
GitHub — HaschekSolutions/opentrashmail: Open Source standalone trashmail solution that ships its own mail server
Open Source standalone trashmail solution that ships its own mail server — GitHub — HaschekSolutions/opentrashmail: Open Source standalone trashmail solution that ships its own mail server
GitHubHaschekSolutions
16- MailCatcher
MailCatcher is a free tiny SMTP mail server for personal usage with a simple web-based mail client. It supports both text and HTML message version, large file attachments, command-line options to override the default SMTP/HTTP and port settings.
MailCatcher
17- Neuron Mail Server
Neutron Mail server is an open-source mail server built with Go programming language for ProtonMail client.
It has binary packages for Ubuntu, Debian and Fedora Linux distros.
Neutron: A Libre Mail server for Proton Webmail client
Neutron is a self-hosted IMAP and SMTP mail server for ProtonMail client. ProtonMail is an open-source webmail client distributed and licensed under GNU “General Public License” version 3. Neutron Mail server features: 1. IMAP support: reads and stores all messages on server. 2. SMTP support:…
MEDevel.comHamza Mousa
18- Magama Mail Server
The Magama is an open-source mail server for CentOS. It is a low-level app that requires certain development skills to install and run.
Magama: Open-source mail server for Linux
The Magama is an open-source mail-server application daemon for SMTP, POP, IMAP, HTTP, and MOLETN. It offers additional support for DMTP and DMAP. Magama features webmail with JSON-RPC interface, which requires some work to install. Supported protocols 1. SMTP 2. POP 3. IMAP 4. HTTP 5. MOL…
MEDevel.comHamza Mousa
19- Inbucket: A disposable Webmail Server
Inbucket: A disposable Webmail Server
InBucket app is a free, open-source disposable mail server that works without any database. InBucket supports many email protocols without depending on external dependenc
Medevel.comHamza Musa
Conclusion
As our list came to an end, we have to say that we listed the most updated and usable ones and excluded the old, obsolete and abandoned projects. We hope this list will be useful for anyone looking to run his private email server.
If you think we missed any open-source email server project that need to be on this list, please let us know.
10 Greatest Open-Source Email clients for macOS [2021]
An email client software is as its name implies; A way of retrieving your mail from your provider’s servers and downloads it to your computer’s hard drive; Once the client has retrieved your email, you can read it at your convenience and continue to access it even when you are
MEDevel.comOmama yahia
