Mox 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 | Mox | Roundcube |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,771 | ★ 7,118 |
| First released | 2023 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Gmail, Outlook Web |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mox or Roundcube better?
Neither is universally better. Roundcube has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mox and Roundcube free and open-source?
Yes. Mox is licensed under MIT and Roundcube under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mox and Roundcube with Docker?
Mox: yes. Roundcube: yes.