DebOps 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?
DebOps
Your Debian-based data center in a box
VS
Docker Mailserver
Production-ready, config-driven mail server in a container
| Feature | DebOps | Docker Mailserver |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Jinja | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,416 | ★ 18,682 |
| First released | 2026 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose DebOps if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Jinja
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Docker Mailserver if…
- Reproducible, version-controllable config
- Lightweight
Frequently asked questions
Is DebOps 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 DebOps and Docker Mailserver free and open-source?
Yes. DebOps is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Docker Mailserver under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DebOps and Docker Mailserver with Docker?
DebOps: check the project docs for container support. Docker Mailserver: yes.