alot vs Mail-in-a-Box
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?
alot
Terminal-based mail user agent for notmuch
VS
Mail-in-a-Box
Turn a fresh server into a working mail server
| Feature | alot | Mail-in-a-Box |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | CC0-1.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 751 | ★ 15,385 |
| First released | 2011 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Mutt | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose alot if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is alot or Mail-in-a-Box better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider alot if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are alot and Mail-in-a-Box free and open-source?
Yes. alot is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mail-in-a-Box under CC0-1.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run alot and Mail-in-a-Box with Docker?
alot: check the project docs for container support. Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support.