Mail-in-a-Box vs meli
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
meli
Terminal email client with a modern interface
| Feature | Mail-in-a-Box | meli |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | CC0-1.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, one-click | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,385 | ★ 877 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Mutt, NeoMutt |
Why pick each one
Choose meli if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or meli better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider meli if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mail-in-a-Box and meli free and open-source?
Yes. Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0 and meli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and meli with Docker?
Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support. meli: check the project docs for container support.