SHSelfHostIndex

Docker Mailserver vs getmail6

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?
DO Docker Mailserver Production-ready, config-driven mail server in a container VS GE getmail6 Flexible mail retrieval tool for POP3 and IMAP
FeatureDocker Mailservergetmail6
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseMITGPL-2.0
LanguageShellPython
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB32 MB
Deploymentdockerbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 18,682★ 164
First released20152002
ReplacesGoogle Workspace, Microsoft 365fetchmail

Why pick each one

Choose Docker Mailserver if…

  • Reproducible, version-controllable config
  • Lightweight
Docker Mailserver details

Choose getmail6 if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Written in Python
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
getmail6 details

Frequently asked questions

Is Docker Mailserver or getmail6 better?

Neither is universally better. Docker Mailserver has the larger community, while getmail6 is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Docker Mailserver and getmail6 free and open-source?

Yes. Docker Mailserver is licensed under MIT and getmail6 under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Docker Mailserver and getmail6 with Docker?

Docker Mailserver: yes. getmail6: check the project docs for container support.

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