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.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureiRedMailMox
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageShellGo
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM4,096 MB256 MB
Deploymentbare-metaldocker, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 1,835★ 5,771
First released20072023
ReplacesMicrosoft Exchange, Google WorkspaceGoogle Workspace, Microsoft 365

Why pick each one

Choose iRedMail if…

  • Works on many distros
  • Long-standing project
iRedMail details

Choose Mox if…

  • Very easy to deploy
  • Strong modern defaults
Mox details

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.

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