SOGo vs Horde Groupware
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted groupware options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
SOGo
Scalable groupware server with webmail, calendar and contacts
VS
Horde Groupware
PHP groupware suite with webmail and calendaring
| Feature | SOGo | Horde Groupware |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Groupware | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Objective-C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,143 | ★ 243 |
| First released | 2009 | 2003 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 | 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 SOGo or Horde Groupware better?
Neither is universally better. SOGo has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are SOGo and Horde Groupware free and open-source?
Yes. SOGo 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 SOGo and Horde Groupware with Docker?
SOGo: yes. Horde Groupware: check the project docs for container support.