Modoboa vs MailCatcher
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?
Modoboa
Mail hosting and management platform with a modern UI
VS
MailCatcher
Catch-all SMTP server for inspecting test email
| Feature | Modoboa | MailCatcher |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | ISC | MIT |
| Language | Python | Ruby |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,530 | ★ 6,774 |
| First released | 2010 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, cPanel Email | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Choose MailCatcher if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.8k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Modoboa or MailCatcher better?
MailCatcher is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Modoboa if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Modoboa and MailCatcher free and open-source?
Yes. Modoboa is licensed under ISC and MailCatcher under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Modoboa and MailCatcher with Docker?
Modoboa: yes. MailCatcher: yes.