Sympa vs Mailspring
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?
| Feature | Sympa | Mailspring |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 310 | ★ 17,730 |
| First released | 1997 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Google Groups | Outlook, Apple Mail |
Why pick each one
Choose Mailspring if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Mature project with 17.7k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Sympa or Mailspring better?
Mailspring is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Sympa if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Sympa and Mailspring free and open-source?
Yes. Sympa is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Mailspring under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sympa and Mailspring with Docker?
Sympa: yes. Mailspring: check the project docs for container support.