Mox 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?
| Feature | Mox | NeoMutt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,771 | ★ 3,799 |
| First released | 2023 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | 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 Mox or NeoMutt better?
Mox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider NeoMutt if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mox and NeoMutt free and open-source?
Yes. Mox is licensed under MIT and NeoMutt under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mox and NeoMutt with Docker?
Mox: yes. NeoMutt: check the project docs for container support.