getmail6 vs mpop
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | getmail6 | mpop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 59 · Fair |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 16 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 168 | ★ 19 |
| First released | 2002 | 2005 |
| Replaces | fetchmail | fetchmail |
What are getmail6 and mpop?
getmail6
getmail6 is a mail retrieval agent that downloads messages from POP3 and IMAP servers and delivers them locally. It is a maintained, modern replacement for fetchmail with simple configuration.
- POP3 and IMAP retrieval
- Local mail delivery
- Simple configuration
- fetchmail alternative
mpop
mpop is a small, fast and configurable POP3 client that downloads mail and delivers it to a local mailbox or mail filter. It is often paired with msmtp on self-hosted mail setups.
- Lightweight POP3 retrieval client
- Delivers to local mailbox
- Pairs well with msmtp
getmail6 vs mpop: key differences
Getmail6 is written in Python, while mpop is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for getmail6 versus GPL-3.0 for mpop. Mpop is the lighter option, starting around 16 MB of RAM against 32 MB for getmail6. Getmail6 is the more established project (first released 2002), while mpop arrived in 2005. Getmail6 has the considerably larger community, at 168 GitHub stars versus 19.
Why pick each one
Choose getmail6 if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Choose mpop if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 16 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is getmail6 or mpop better?
Neither is universally better. getmail6 has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are getmail6 and mpop free and open-source?
Yes. getmail6 is licensed under GPL-2.0 and mpop under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run getmail6 and mpop with Docker?
getmail6: check the project docs for container support. mpop: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, getmail6 or mpop?
mpop has the smaller minimum footprint at 16 MB of RAM, compared to about 32 MB for getmail6. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.