SOGo vs Zimbra Collaboration
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
Zimbra Collaboration
Email, calendar, collaboration server with Web interface and lots of
| Feature | SOGo | Zimbra Collaboration |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Groupware | Groupware |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Objective-C | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,143 | — |
| First released | 2009 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft 365 | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Zimbra Collaboration if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in Java
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is SOGo or Zimbra Collaboration better?
Neither is universally better. SOGo has the larger community, while Zimbra Collaboration is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SOGo and Zimbra Collaboration free and open-source?
Yes. SOGo is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Zimbra Collaboration under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SOGo and Zimbra Collaboration with Docker?
SOGo: yes. Zimbra Collaboration: check the project docs for container support.