CryptPad vs Maddy Mail Server
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?
CryptPad
End-to-end encrypted collaboration suite
VS
Maddy Mail Server
Composable, all-in-one mail server in Go
| Feature | CryptPad | Maddy Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,832 | ★ 6,060 |
| First released | 2015 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Google Drive, Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose CryptPad if…
- Strong privacy guarantees
- Real-time collaboration
- No account needed to start
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Frequently asked questions
Is CryptPad or Maddy Mail Server better?
Neither is universally better. CryptPad has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CryptPad and Maddy Mail Server free and open-source?
Yes. CryptPad is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Maddy Mail Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CryptPad and Maddy Mail Server with Docker?
CryptPad: yes. Maddy Mail Server: yes.