alps vs SnappyMail
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SnappyMail
Lightweight, fast and modern webmail client
| Feature | alps | SnappyMail |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 1,697 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are alps and SnappyMail?
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
SnappyMail
SnappyMail is a simple, modern webmail client that is a maintained fork of RainLoop. It connects to any IMAP and SMTP server and is fast and easy to deploy.
- Fast, modern interface
- Works without a database
- Plugin support
- Connects to any IMAP/SMTP server
alps vs SnappyMail: key differences
Alps is written in Go, while SnappyMail is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for alps versus AGPL-3.0 for SnappyMail. Alps is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for SnappyMail. SnappyMail has the considerably larger community, at 1,697 GitHub stars versus 700. SnappyMail 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 SnappyMail if…
- Very lightweight
- Actively maintained RainLoop fork
Watch out for
- Fewer plugins than Roundcube
- Webmail only
Frequently asked questions
Is alps or SnappyMail better?
SnappyMail 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 SnappyMail free and open-source?
Yes. alps is licensed under MIT and SnappyMail under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run alps and SnappyMail with Docker?
alps: check the project docs for container support. SnappyMail: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, alps or SnappyMail?
alps has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for SnappyMail. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.