iRedMail vs Mailu
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
Mailu
Simple yet full-featured Docker mail server
| Feature | iRedMail | Mailu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,835 | ★ 7,443 |
| First released | 2007 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or Mailu better?
Neither is universally better. Mailu has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are iRedMail and Mailu free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mailu under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and Mailu with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. Mailu: yes.