Mailpile vs WildDuck
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mailpile | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,816 | ★ 2,108 |
| First released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
What are Mailpile and WildDuck?
Mailpile
Mailpile is a free email client that emphasizes privacy, fast search, and built-in encryption. It runs as a personal web application that you host yourself.
- Fast local email search
- Built-in PGP encryption
- Privacy-respecting design
- Self-hosted personal webmail
WildDuck
WildDuck is a modern, scalable mail server providing IMAP, POP3, and a full REST API for managing mailboxes. It stores messages in MongoDB and is designed for clustered, highly available deployments.
- IMAP and POP3
- Full REST API
- MongoDB storage
- Designed for scale
Mailpile vs WildDuck: key differences
Mailpile is written in Python, while WildDuck is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Mailpile versus EUPL-1.2 for WildDuck. Mailpile is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Mailpile is the more established project (first released 2013), while WildDuck arrived in 2017. Mailpile has the considerably larger community, at 8,816 GitHub stars versus 2,108. WildDuck lists first-class Docker deployment; Mailpile does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mailpile if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 8.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Single-user focus
Choose WildDuck if…
- API-driven management
- Horizontally scalable
Watch out for
- Requires MongoDB
- Complex to operate
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailpile or WildDuck better?
Mailpile is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider WildDuck if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mailpile and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. Mailpile is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailpile and WildDuck with Docker?
Mailpile: check the project docs for container support. WildDuck: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mailpile or WildDuck?
Mailpile has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.