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.
Roundcube
Browser-based IMAP webmail client
VS
SnappyMail
Lightweight, fast and modern webmail client
| Feature | Roundcube | SnappyMail |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 50 · Fair |
| 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 | ★ 7,189 | ★ 1,697 |
| First released | 2008 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are Roundcube and SnappyMail?
Roundcube
Roundcube is a widely used, browser-based IMAP webmail client with a clean interface and a strong plugin ecosystem. It is commonly bundled with self-hosted mail servers.
- Full-featured IMAP webmail
- Extensive plugin system
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Address book and folder management
SnappyMail
SnappyMail is a simple, modern webmail client that is a maintained fork of RainLoop. It connects to any IMAP and SMTP server and is fast and easy to deploy.
- Fast, modern interface
- Works without a database
- Plugin support
- Connects to any IMAP/SMTP server
Roundcube vs SnappyMail: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Roundcube versus AGPL-3.0 for SnappyMail. SnappyMail is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Roundcube. Roundcube is the more established project (first released 2008), while SnappyMail arrived in 2021. Roundcube has the considerably larger community, at 7,189 GitHub stars versus 1,697.
Why pick each one
Choose Roundcube if…
- Mature and stable
- Widely supported
Watch out for
- Default UI feels dated
- Webmail only, needs a mail server
Choose SnappyMail if…
- Very lightweight
- Actively maintained RainLoop fork
Watch out for
- Fewer plugins than Roundcube
- Webmail only
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.
Which is lighter on resources, Roundcube or SnappyMail?
SnappyMail has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Roundcube. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.