Mail-in-a-Box vs Roundcube
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?
Mail-in-a-Box
Turn a fresh server into a working mail server
VS
Roundcube
Browser-based IMAP webmail client
| Feature | Mail-in-a-Box | Roundcube |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | CC0-1.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, one-click | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,385 | ★ 7,118 |
| First released | 2014 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Gmail, Outlook Web |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or Roundcube better?
Neither is universally better. Mail-in-a-Box has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mail-in-a-Box and Roundcube free and open-source?
Yes. Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0 and Roundcube under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and Roundcube with Docker?
Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support. Roundcube: yes.