Afterlogic WebMail Lite vs Cypht
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Cypht
Lightweight webmail aggregator for many accounts
| Feature | Afterlogic WebMail Lite | Cypht |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 59 · Fair | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | Shell | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 362 | ★ 1,735 |
| First released | 2010 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are Afterlogic WebMail Lite and Cypht?
Afterlogic WebMail Lite
Afterlogic WebMail Lite is a free, open-source webmail client that provides a clean front-end for any IMAP and SMTP mail server. It supports contacts and basic email management.
- Clean responsive webmail UI
- Contacts management
- Works with any IMAP server
- Free open-source edition
Cypht
Cypht is a webmail client that combines email from multiple IMAP, POP3, and SMTP accounts plus RSS feeds into a single unified interface. It is lightweight and privacy-conscious.
- Aggregates multiple email accounts
- Combined inbox view
- RSS feed integration
- Modular plugin system
Afterlogic WebMail Lite vs Cypht: key differences
Afterlogic WebMail Lite is written in Shell, while Cypht is built with PHP. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Afterlogic WebMail Lite versus LGPL-2.1 for Cypht. Cypht is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Afterlogic WebMail Lite. Afterlogic WebMail Lite is the more established project (first released 2010), while Cypht arrived in 2015. Cypht has the considerably larger community, at 1,735 GitHub stars versus 362.
Why pick each one
Choose Afterlogic WebMail Lite if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Watch out for
- Pro edition gates advanced features
- Webmail only
Choose Cypht if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Less polished than Roundcube
- Setup needs configuration
Frequently asked questions
Is Afterlogic WebMail Lite or Cypht better?
Neither is universally better. Cypht has the larger community, while Afterlogic WebMail Lite is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Afterlogic WebMail Lite and Cypht free and open-source?
Yes. Afterlogic WebMail Lite is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Cypht under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Afterlogic WebMail Lite and Cypht with Docker?
Afterlogic WebMail Lite: yes. Cypht: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Afterlogic WebMail Lite or Cypht?
Cypht has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Afterlogic WebMail Lite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.