Cypht vs Nextcloud Mail
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?
Cypht
Lightweight webmail aggregator for many accounts
VS
Nextcloud Mail
IMAP webmail client integrated into Nextcloud
| Feature | Cypht | Nextcloud Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,672 | ★ 1,014 |
| First released | 2015 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Gmail |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Nextcloud Mail if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Cypht or Nextcloud Mail better?
Neither is universally better. Cypht has the larger community, while Nextcloud Mail is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Cypht and Nextcloud Mail free and open-source?
Yes. Cypht is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Nextcloud Mail under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cypht and Nextcloud Mail with Docker?
Cypht: yes. Nextcloud Mail: check the project docs for container support.