chasquid vs Mail-in-a-Box
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Mail-in-a-Box
Turn a fresh server into a working mail server
| Feature | chasquid | Mail-in-a-Box |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | CC0-1.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 977 | ★ 15,418 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
What are chasquid and Mail-in-a-Box?
chasquid
chasquid is an SMTP server written in Go with a focus on being easy to configure and maintain for small personal mail servers. It handles message submission and delivery securely.
- Easy-to-configure SMTP server
- Automatic TLS via certificates
- SPF and DKIM support
- Lightweight Go implementation
Mail-in-a-Box
Mail-in-a-Box is an easy-to-deploy bundle that turns a clean Ubuntu server into a complete mail and web server. It automates DNS, webmail, contacts, calendar, and antispam setup.
- One-command full mail setup
- Automatic DNS and TLS
- Roundcube webmail and Nextcloud contacts
- Built-in admin dashboard
chasquid vs Mail-in-a-Box: key differences
Chasquid is written in Go, while Mail-in-a-Box is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for chasquid versus CC0-1.0 for Mail-in-a-Box. Chasquid is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Mail-in-a-Box. Mail-in-a-Box is the more established project (first released 2014), while chasquid arrived in 2016. Mail-in-a-Box has the considerably larger community, at 15,418 GitHub stars versus 977. Chasquid lists first-class Docker deployment; Mail-in-a-Box does not.
Why pick each one
Choose chasquid if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- SMTP only, needs IMAP separately
- Small personal-use focus
Choose Mail-in-a-Box if…
- Very beginner-friendly
- Opinionated, complete stack
Watch out for
- Limited customization
- Dedicated server required
Frequently asked questions
Is chasquid or Mail-in-a-Box better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider chasquid if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are chasquid and Mail-in-a-Box free and open-source?
Yes. chasquid is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Mail-in-a-Box under CC0-1.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run chasquid and Mail-in-a-Box with Docker?
chasquid: yes. Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, chasquid or Mail-in-a-Box?
chasquid has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Mail-in-a-Box. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.