Roundcube vs SnappyMail
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?
Roundcube
Browser-based IMAP webmail client
VS
SnappyMail
Lightweight, fast and modern webmail client
| Feature | Roundcube | SnappyMail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,118 | ★ 1,670 |
| First released | 2008 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Gmail, Outlook Web |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Roundcube or SnappyMail 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 Roundcube and SnappyMail free and open-source?
Yes. Roundcube is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SnappyMail under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Roundcube and SnappyMail with Docker?
Roundcube: yes. SnappyMail: yes.