Cypht vs WildDuck
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
VS
WildDuck
Scalable IMAP and POP3 mail server with REST API
| Feature | Cypht | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,735 | ★ 2,108 |
| First released | 2015 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
What are Cypht and WildDuck?
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
WildDuck
WildDuck is a modern, scalable mail server providing IMAP, POP3, and a full REST API for managing mailboxes. It stores messages in MongoDB and is designed for clustered, highly available deployments.
- IMAP and POP3
- Full REST API
- MongoDB storage
- Designed for scale
Cypht vs WildDuck: key differences
Cypht is written in PHP, while WildDuck is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — LGPL-2.1 for Cypht versus EUPL-1.2 for WildDuck. Cypht is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Cypht is the more established project (first released 2015), while WildDuck arrived in 2017.
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
Watch out for
- Less polished than Roundcube
- Setup needs configuration
Choose WildDuck if…
- API-driven management
- Horizontally scalable
Watch out for
- Requires MongoDB
- Complex to operate
Frequently asked questions
Is Cypht or WildDuck better?
Neither is universally better. WildDuck has the larger community, while Cypht is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Cypht and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. Cypht is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cypht and WildDuck with Docker?
Cypht: yes. WildDuck: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cypht or WildDuck?
Cypht has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.