Exim vs DAViCal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Exim
Flexible and widely deployed mail transfer agent
VS
DAViCal
Server for sharing calendars and address books via DAV
| Feature | Exim | DAViCal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 786 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 1995 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange | Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange |
Why pick each one
Choose DAViCal if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Exim or DAViCal better?
Neither is universally better. Exim has the larger community, while DAViCal is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Exim and DAViCal free and open-source?
Yes. Exim is licensed under GPL-2.0 and DAViCal under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Exim and DAViCal with Docker?
Exim: check the project docs for container support. DAViCal: yes.