iRedMail vs Mox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | iRedMail | Mox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,844 | ★ 5,868 |
| First released | 2007 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
What are iRedMail and Mox?
iRedMail
iRedMail is a shell-script-driven mail server deployment that sets up Postfix, Dovecot, antispam, and webmail on major Linux and BSD systems. It supports OpenLDAP, MySQL, or PostgreSQL backends.
- Automated full mail stack install
- LDAP, MySQL or PostgreSQL backends
- SpamAssassin and ClamAV
- Roundcube and SOGo webmail
Mox
Mox is a modern mail server written in Go that provides SMTP, IMAP, and automatic TLS in a single binary. It is designed for easy, secure self-hosting with sensible defaults.
- Single binary mail server
- Automatic TLS and DNS guidance
- Built-in spam filtering
- Quickstart wizard for setup
iRedMail vs Mox: key differences
IRedMail is written in Shell, while Mox is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for iRedMail versus MIT for Mox. Mox is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for iRedMail. IRedMail is the more established project (first released 2007), while Mox arrived in 2023. Mox has the considerably larger community, at 5,868 GitHub stars versus 1,844. Mox lists first-class Docker deployment; iRedMail does not.
Why pick each one
Choose iRedMail if…
- Works on many distros
- Long-standing project
Watch out for
- Admin panel features gated in pro edition
- Script-based, less reproducible
Choose Mox if…
- Very easy to deploy
- Strong modern defaults
Watch out for
- Young project
- No webmail included
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or Mox better?
Mox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider iRedMail if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are iRedMail and Mox free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mox under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and Mox with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. Mox: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, iRedMail or Mox?
Mox has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for iRedMail. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.