Maddy Mail Server vs Citadel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Maddy Mail Server
Composable, all-in-one mail server in Go
VS
Citadel
All-in-one groupware, mail and collaboration server
| Feature | Maddy Mail Server | Citadel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Groupware |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,060 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2019 | 1987 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Frequently asked questions
Is Maddy Mail Server or Citadel better?
Neither is universally better. Maddy Mail Server has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Maddy Mail Server and Citadel free and open-source?
Yes. Maddy Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Citadel under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Maddy Mail Server and Citadel with Docker?
Maddy Mail Server: yes. Citadel: check the project docs for container support.