Mail-in-a-Box vs OnlyOffice Community Server
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?
Mail-in-a-Box
Turn a fresh server into a working mail server
VS
OnlyOffice Community Server
Collaboration server pairing with the ONLYOFFICE editors
| Feature | Mail-in-a-Box | OnlyOffice Community Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Office Suites |
| License | CC0-1.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, one-click | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,385 | ★ 3,153 |
| First released | 2014 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose OnlyOffice Community Server if…
- Integrated office portal
- Open source core
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or OnlyOffice Community Server better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OnlyOffice Community Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mail-in-a-Box and OnlyOffice Community Server free and open-source?
Yes. Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0 and OnlyOffice Community Server under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and OnlyOffice Community Server with Docker?
Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support. OnlyOffice Community Server: yes.