Maddy Mail Server 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 | Maddy Mail Server | Mox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,091 | ★ 5,868 |
| First released | 2019 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
What are Maddy Mail Server and Mox?
Maddy Mail Server
Maddy is a single-process mail server written in Go that replaces Postfix, Dovecot, and several other components. It is designed to be simple to configure while remaining flexible.
- Single binary replaces full stack
- SMTP, IMAP and submission in one
- Simple unified configuration
- Built-in DKIM and TLS management
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
Maddy Mail Server vs Mox: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Maddy Mail Server versus MIT for Mox. Maddy Mail Server is the more established project (first released 2019), while Mox arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Watch out for
- Fewer features than mature stacks
- Smaller community
Choose Mox if…
- Very easy to deploy
- Strong modern defaults
Watch out for
- Young project
- No webmail included
Frequently asked questions
Is Maddy Mail Server or Mox better?
Neither is universally better. Maddy Mail Server has the larger community, while Mox is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Maddy Mail Server and Mox free and open-source?
Yes. Maddy Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mox under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Maddy Mail Server and Mox with Docker?
Maddy Mail Server: yes. Mox: yes.