SOGo vs Kolab 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
Kolab Groupware
Open-source groupware server with mail and calendaring
| Feature | SOGo | Kolab Groupware |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Groupware | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Objective-C | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,143 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2009 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Exchange, Zimbra |
Why pick each one
Choose Kolab Groupware if…
- Built on proven components
- Strong standards support
Frequently asked questions
Is SOGo or Kolab 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 Kolab Groupware free and open-source?
Yes. SOGo is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Kolab Groupware under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SOGo and Kolab Groupware with Docker?
SOGo: yes. Kolab Groupware: yes.