aerc vs WildDuck
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
aerc
Efficient terminal-based email client
VS
WildDuck
Scalable IMAP and POP3 mail server with REST API
| Feature | aerc | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,300 | ★ 2,107 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
Why pick each one
Choose aerc if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (3.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is aerc or WildDuck better?
aerc is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider WildDuck if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are aerc and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. aerc is licensed under MIT and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run aerc and WildDuck with Docker?
aerc: check the project docs for container support. WildDuck: yes.