AnonAddy vs Docker Mailserver
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?
AnonAddy
Email forwarding service for creating aliases
VS
Docker Mailserver
Production-ready, config-driven mail server in a container
| Feature | AnonAddy | Docker Mailserver |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,789 | ★ 18,682 |
| First released | 2026 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose AnonAddy if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Choose Docker Mailserver if…
- Reproducible, version-controllable config
- Lightweight
Frequently asked questions
Is AnonAddy or Docker Mailserver better?
Neither is universally better. Docker Mailserver has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AnonAddy and Docker Mailserver free and open-source?
Yes. AnonAddy is licensed under MIT and Docker Mailserver under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AnonAddy and Docker Mailserver with Docker?
AnonAddy: yes. Docker Mailserver: yes.