iRedMail vs WildDuck
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | iRedMail | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | Shell | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,844 | ★ 2,108 |
| First released | 2007 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
What are iRedMail and WildDuck?
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
WildDuck
WildDuck is a modern, scalable mail server providing IMAP, POP3, and a full REST API for managing mailboxes. It stores messages in MongoDB and is designed for clustered, highly available deployments.
- IMAP and POP3
- Full REST API
- MongoDB storage
- Designed for scale
iRedMail vs WildDuck: key differences
IRedMail is written in Shell, while WildDuck is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for iRedMail versus EUPL-1.2 for WildDuck. WildDuck is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for iRedMail. IRedMail is the more established project (first released 2007), while WildDuck arrived in 2017. WildDuck 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 WildDuck if…
- API-driven management
- Horizontally scalable
Watch out for
- Requires MongoDB
- Complex to operate
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or WildDuck better?
Neither is universally better. WildDuck has the larger community, while iRedMail is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are iRedMail and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and WildDuck with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. WildDuck: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, iRedMail or WildDuck?
WildDuck has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for iRedMail. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.