Mailu vs Roundcube
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?
| Feature | Mailu | Roundcube |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,443 | ★ 7,118 |
| First released | 2016 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Gmail, Outlook Web |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailu or Roundcube better?
Neither is universally better. Mailu has the larger community, while Roundcube is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mailu and Roundcube free and open-source?
Yes. Mailu is licensed under MIT and Roundcube under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailu and Roundcube with Docker?
Mailu: yes. Roundcube: yes.