Mail-in-a-Box vs ONLYOFFICE Docs
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 Docs
Online office suite for documents, sheets, and slides
| Feature | Mail-in-a-Box | ONLYOFFICE Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Document Management |
| License | CC0-1.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, one-click | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,385 | ★ 6,794 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Google Docs, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose ONLYOFFICE Docs if…
- Excellent format compatibility
- Strong collaboration features
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or ONLYOFFICE Docs better?
Mail-in-a-Box is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ONLYOFFICE Docs if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mail-in-a-Box and ONLYOFFICE Docs free and open-source?
Yes. Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0 and ONLYOFFICE Docs under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and ONLYOFFICE Docs with Docker?
Mail-in-a-Box: check the project docs for container support. ONLYOFFICE Docs: yes.