Mox vs Citadel
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Mox
Modern, secure all-in-one mail server
VS
Citadel
All-in-one groupware, mail and collaboration server
| Feature | Mox | Citadel |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Groupware |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,771 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2023 | 1987 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mox or Citadel better?
Mox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Citadel if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mox and Citadel free and open-source?
Yes. Mox is licensed under MIT and Citadel under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mox and Citadel with Docker?
Mox: yes. Citadel: check the project docs for container support.