Nextcloud Mail vs WildDuck
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Nextcloud Mail
IMAP webmail client integrated into Nextcloud
VS
WildDuck
Scalable IMAP and POP3 mail server with REST API
| Feature | Nextcloud Mail | WildDuck |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | EUPL-1.2 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,014 | ★ 2,107 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Microsoft Exchange, Gmail |
Why pick each one
Choose Nextcloud Mail if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Nextcloud Mail or WildDuck better?
Neither is universally better. WildDuck has the larger community, while Nextcloud Mail is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Nextcloud Mail and WildDuck free and open-source?
Yes. Nextcloud Mail is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and WildDuck under EUPL-1.2. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nextcloud Mail and WildDuck with Docker?
Nextcloud Mail: check the project docs for container support. WildDuck: yes.