Roundcube vs SimpleLogin
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
SimpleLogin
Open source email alias solution to protect your email address
| Feature | Roundcube | SimpleLogin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,118 | ★ 6,896 |
| First released | 2008 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | — |
Why pick each one
Choose SimpleLogin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is Roundcube or SimpleLogin better?
Roundcube is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SimpleLogin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Roundcube and SimpleLogin free and open-source?
Yes. Roundcube is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SimpleLogin under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Roundcube and SimpleLogin with Docker?
Roundcube: yes. SimpleLogin: yes.