Roundcube vs smtp4dev
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
smtp4dev
Fake SMTP server for development email testing
| Feature | Roundcube | smtp4dev |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,118 | ★ 3,941 |
| First released | 2008 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Roundcube or smtp4dev 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 smtp4dev free and open-source?
Yes. Roundcube is licensed under GPL-3.0 and smtp4dev under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Roundcube and smtp4dev with Docker?
Roundcube: yes. smtp4dev: yes.