iRedMail vs Maddy Mail Server
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?
iRedMail
Free, full-featured mail server solution
VS
Maddy Mail Server
Composable, all-in-one mail server in Go
| Feature | iRedMail | Maddy Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,835 | ★ 6,060 |
| First released | 2007 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or Maddy Mail Server better?
Neither is universally better. Maddy Mail Server has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are iRedMail and Maddy Mail Server free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Maddy Mail Server under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and Maddy Mail Server with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. Maddy Mail Server: yes.