Mail-in-a-Box vs Mailvelope
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
Mailvelope
Browser extension for OpenPGP encryption in webmail
| Feature | Mail-in-a-Box | Mailvelope |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | CC0-1.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, one-click | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,385 | ★ 1,838 |
| First released | 2014 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | ProtonMail |
Why pick each one
Choose Mailvelope if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or Mailvelope better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Mailvelope if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mail-in-a-Box and Mailvelope free and open-source?
Yes. Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0 and Mailvelope under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and Mailvelope with Docker?
Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support. Mailvelope: check the project docs for container support.