Modoboa vs NeoMutt
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
NeoMutt
Feature-rich terminal email client
| Feature | Modoboa | NeoMutt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | ISC | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,530 | ★ 3,799 |
| First released | 2010 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, cPanel Email | Microsoft Outlook |
Why pick each one
Choose NeoMutt if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Modoboa or NeoMutt better?
Neither is universally better. NeoMutt has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Modoboa and NeoMutt free and open-source?
Yes. Modoboa is licensed under ISC and NeoMutt under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Modoboa and NeoMutt with Docker?
Modoboa: yes. NeoMutt: check the project docs for container support.