alps vs Roundcube
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | alps | Roundcube |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 7,189 |
| First released | 2020 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are alps and Roundcube?
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
Roundcube
Roundcube is a widely used, browser-based IMAP webmail client with a clean interface and a strong plugin ecosystem. It is commonly bundled with self-hosted mail servers.
- Full-featured IMAP webmail
- Extensive plugin system
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Address book and folder management
alps vs Roundcube: key differences
Alps is written in Go, while Roundcube is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for alps versus GPL-3.0 for Roundcube. Alps is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Roundcube. Roundcube is the more established project (first released 2008), while alps arrived in 2020. Roundcube has the considerably larger community, at 7,189 GitHub stars versus 700. Roundcube 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 Roundcube if…
- Mature and stable
- Widely supported
Watch out for
- Default UI feels dated
- Webmail only, needs a mail server
Frequently asked questions
Is alps or Roundcube better?
Roundcube is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider alps if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are alps and Roundcube free and open-source?
Yes. alps is licensed under MIT and Roundcube under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run alps and Roundcube with Docker?
alps: check the project docs for container support. Roundcube: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, alps or Roundcube?
alps has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Roundcube. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.