Roundcube vs WildDuck
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
WildDuck
Scalable IMAP and POP3 mail server with REST API
| Feature | Roundcube | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | PHP | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,189 | ★ 2,108 |
| First released | 2008 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
What are Roundcube and WildDuck?
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
WildDuck
WildDuck is a modern, scalable mail server providing IMAP, POP3, and a full REST API for managing mailboxes. It stores messages in MongoDB and is designed for clustered, highly available deployments.
- IMAP and POP3
- Full REST API
- MongoDB storage
- Designed for scale
Roundcube vs WildDuck: key differences
Roundcube is written in PHP, while WildDuck is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Roundcube versus EUPL-1.2 for WildDuck. Roundcube is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Roundcube is the more established project (first released 2008), while WildDuck arrived in 2017. Roundcube has the considerably larger community, at 7,189 GitHub stars versus 2,108.
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 WildDuck if…
- API-driven management
- Horizontally scalable
Watch out for
- Requires MongoDB
- Complex to operate
Frequently asked questions
Is Roundcube or WildDuck better?
Roundcube is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider WildDuck if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Roundcube and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. Roundcube is licensed under GPL-3.0 and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Roundcube and WildDuck with Docker?
Roundcube: yes. WildDuck: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Roundcube or WildDuck?
Roundcube has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for WildDuck. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.