alps vs Cypht
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Cypht
Lightweight webmail aggregator for many accounts
| Feature | alps | Cypht |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 1,735 |
| First released | 2020 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are alps and Cypht?
alps
alps is a minimal webmail client that connects to IMAP and SMTP servers, designed to be lightweight and extensible. It is developed by the team behind the SourceHut mail infrastructure.
- Minimal webmail interface
- IMAP and SMTP support
- Plugin system
- No database required
Cypht
Cypht is a webmail client that combines email from multiple IMAP, POP3, and SMTP accounts plus RSS feeds into a single unified interface. It is lightweight and privacy-conscious.
- Aggregates multiple email accounts
- Combined inbox view
- RSS feed integration
- Modular plugin system
alps vs Cypht: key differences
Alps is written in Go, while Cypht is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for alps versus LGPL-2.1 for Cypht. Alps is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Cypht. Cypht is the more established project (first released 2015), while alps arrived in 2020. Cypht has the considerably larger community, at 1,735 GitHub stars versus 700. Cypht lists first-class Docker deployment; alps does not.
Why pick each one
Choose alps if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Cypht if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Less polished than Roundcube
- Setup needs configuration
Frequently asked questions
Is alps or Cypht better?
Neither is universally better. Cypht has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are alps and Cypht free and open-source?
Yes. alps is licensed under MIT and Cypht under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run alps and Cypht with Docker?
alps: check the project docs for container support. Cypht: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, alps or Cypht?
alps has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Cypht. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.