Cyrus IMAP vs WildDuck
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?
Cyrus IMAP
Scalable IMAP and POP server for large deployments
VS
WildDuck
Scalable IMAP and POP3 mail server with REST API
| Feature | Cyrus IMAP | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | C | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 641 | ★ 2,107 |
| First released | 1994 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Cyrus IMAP or WildDuck better?
Neither is universally better. WildDuck has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cyrus IMAP and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. Cyrus IMAP is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cyrus IMAP and WildDuck with Docker?
Cyrus IMAP: check the project docs for container support. WildDuck: yes.