EGroupware vs SOGo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted groupware options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SOGo
Scalable groupware server with webmail, calendar and contacts
| Feature | EGroupware | SOGo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Groupware | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | PHP | Objective-C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 297 | ★ 2,165 |
| First released | 2003 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Microsoft 365, Google Workspace | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 |
What are EGroupware and SOGo?
EGroupware
EGroupware is a browser-based groupware suite that includes calendar, address book, email, project management, and file sharing. It supports CalDAV, CardDAV, and ActiveSync for client synchronization.
- Integrated calendar, mail and contacts
- Project management and timesheets
- CalDAV/CardDAV and ActiveSync
- Video conferencing module
SOGo
SOGo is a fully featured, scalable groupware server offering shared calendars, address books, and webmail. It is fully compatible with Microsoft Outlook via ActiveSync and with CalDAV/CardDAV clients.
- CalDAV and CardDAV support
- Microsoft ActiveSync compatibility
- Shared calendars and contacts
- Integrated AJAX webmail
EGroupware vs SOGo: key differences
EGroupware is written in PHP, while SOGo is built with Objective-C. EGroupware is the more established project (first released 2003), while SOGo arrived in 2009. SOGo has the considerably larger community, at 2,165 GitHub stars versus 297.
Why pick each one
Choose EGroupware if…
- Broad feature set
- Long-established project
Watch out for
- Interface feels dated
- Many modules to configure
Choose SOGo if…
- Strong Outlook compatibility
- Scales to many users
Watch out for
- Complex initial setup
- Requires separate mail server
Frequently asked questions
Is EGroupware or SOGo better?
Neither is universally better. SOGo has the larger community, while EGroupware is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are EGroupware and SOGo free and open-source?
Yes. EGroupware is licensed under GPL-2.0 and SOGo under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run EGroupware and SOGo with Docker?
EGroupware: yes. SOGo: yes.