iRedMail vs Modoboa
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
Modoboa
Mail hosting and management platform with a modern UI
| Feature | iRedMail | Modoboa |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | ISC |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,835 | ★ 3,530 |
| First released | 2007 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Google Workspace, cPanel Email |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or Modoboa better?
Neither is universally better. Modoboa has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are iRedMail and Modoboa free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Modoboa under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and Modoboa with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. Modoboa: yes.