Dovecot Pigeonhole vs Sieve Editor
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dovecot Pigeonhole | Sieve Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 72 · Good | 60 · Good |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 96 | ★ 892 |
| First released | 2008 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Gmail filters | Gmail filters |
What are Dovecot Pigeonhole and Sieve Editor?
Dovecot Pigeonhole
Dovecot Pigeonhole is the Sieve and ManageSieve implementation that adds server-side mail filtering to a Dovecot installation. It lets users define filtering rules that run as messages are delivered.
- Server-side Sieve filtering
- ManageSieve protocol
- Runs at delivery time
- Dovecot integration
Sieve Editor
The Sieve Editor is a cross-platform graphical application for creating and editing Sieve mail filters on any ManageSieve-capable server. It lets users of self-hosted mail servers manage server-side filtering without editing scripts by hand.
- Graphical Sieve filter editor
- Works with ManageSieve servers
- Cross-platform desktop app
Dovecot Pigeonhole vs Sieve Editor: key differences
Dovecot Pigeonhole is written in C, while Sieve Editor is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for Dovecot Pigeonhole versus AGPL-3.0 for Sieve Editor. Dovecot Pigeonhole is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Sieve Editor. Dovecot Pigeonhole is the more established project (first released 2008), while Sieve Editor arrived in 2012. Sieve Editor has the considerably larger community, at 892 GitHub stars versus 96.
Why pick each one
Choose Dovecot Pigeonhole if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Sieve Editor if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Dovecot Pigeonhole or Sieve Editor better?
Sieve Editor is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Dovecot Pigeonhole if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Dovecot Pigeonhole and Sieve Editor free and open-source?
Yes. Dovecot Pigeonhole is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Sieve Editor under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dovecot Pigeonhole and Sieve Editor with Docker?
Dovecot Pigeonhole: check the project docs for container support. Sieve Editor: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dovecot Pigeonhole or Sieve Editor?
Dovecot Pigeonhole has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Sieve Editor. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.