Mailu vs Mox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mailu | Mox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 90 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,524 | ★ 5,868 |
| First released | 2016 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
What are Mailu and Mox?
Mailu
Mailu is a free mail server distributed as a set of Docker images, providing a complete stack with antispam, webmail, and admin interface. It aims to be simpler and lighter than other mail suites.
- Composable Docker images
- Built-in antispam and antivirus
- Roundcube and SnappyMail webmail
- Admin UI and REST API
Mox
Mox is a modern mail server written in Go that provides SMTP, IMAP, and automatic TLS in a single binary. It is designed for easy, secure self-hosting with sensible defaults.
- Single binary mail server
- Automatic TLS and DNS guidance
- Built-in spam filtering
- Quickstart wizard for setup
Mailu vs Mox: key differences
Mailu is written in Python, while Mox is built with Go. Mox is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Mailu. Mailu is the more established project (first released 2016), while Mox arrived in 2023.
Why pick each one
Choose Mailu if…
- Lighter than mailcow
- Kubernetes support
Watch out for
- Fewer features than larger suites
- Manual DNS configuration
Choose Mox if…
- Very easy to deploy
- Strong modern defaults
Watch out for
- Young project
- No webmail included
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailu or Mox better?
Neither is universally better. Mailu has the larger community, while Mox is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mailu and Mox free and open-source?
Yes. Mailu is licensed under MIT and Mox under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailu and Mox with Docker?
Mailu: yes. Mox: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mailu or Mox?
Mox has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Mailu. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.