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.
Not the right match-up?
Dovecot Pigeonhole
Sieve mail filtering engine for Dovecot
VS
Sieve Editor
Graphical editor for Sieve mail filtering scripts
| Feature | Dovecot Pigeonhole | Sieve Editor |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 95 | ★ 889 |
| First released | 2008 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Gmail filters | Gmail filters |
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.