SHSelfHostIndex

Apache James vs Kopano Groupware Core

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
AP Apache James Enterprise mail server and SMTP/IMAP platform VS KO Kopano Groupware Core Open-source collaboration platform with Outlook support
FeatureApache JamesKopano Groupware Core
CategoryMail ServersGroupware
LicenseApache-2.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaC++
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,037★ 60
First released20032016
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange

Why pick each one

Choose Apache James if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Active community (1k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Java
Apache James details

Choose Kopano Groupware Core if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in C++
Kopano Groupware Core details

Frequently asked questions

Is Apache James or Kopano Groupware Core better?

Neither is universally better. Apache James has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Apache James and Kopano Groupware Core free and open-source?

Yes. Apache James is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kopano Groupware Core under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Apache James and Kopano Groupware Core with Docker?

Apache James: yes. Kopano Groupware Core: yes.

Related comparisons