Exim vs Horde Groupware
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
Horde Groupware
PHP groupware suite with webmail and calendaring
| Feature | Exim | Horde Groupware |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 786 | ★ 243 |
| First released | 1995 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange | Microsoft Exchange |
Why pick each one
Choose Horde Groupware if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Exim or Horde Groupware better?
Neither is universally better. Exim has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Exim and Horde Groupware free and open-source?
Yes. Exim is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Horde Groupware under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Exim and Horde Groupware with Docker?
Exim: check the project docs for container support. Horde Groupware: check the project docs for container support.