We track 8 open-source Gmail alternatives, of which 5 currently score 70 or above on Repoly's GitHub health scale and 4 ship a Docker image. docker-mailserver leads on health at 97/100 with 40 commits in the last 90 days; across all 8 projects you are choosing between BUSL-1.1, CC0-1.0, GPL-3.0 and 3 other licences.
Showing 8 of 8 tools
Top pick · highest health
Production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.) running inside a container. Only configuration files, no SQL database.
★ 19k · ⟳ today · v16.0.1 · MIT
Mail server suite based on Dovecot, Postfix and other open source software, that provides a modern Web UI for administration.
★ 13k · ⟳ 5 days ago · 2026-07b · GPL-3.0
Simple yet full-featured mail server as a set of Docker images.
★ 7.5k · ⟳ 2 days ago · 2024.06.58 · MIT
Privacy-focused encrypted email for everyone. All-in-one alternative to Gmail + Mailchimp + Sendgrid.
★ 1.7k · ⟳ 10 days ago · v2.14.2 · BUSL-1.1
Mail hosting and management platform including a modern and simplified web user interface.
★ 3.5k · ⟳ today · 2.10.0 · ISC
Turns any Ubuntu server into a fully functional mail server with one command.
★ 15k · ⟳ 13 days ago · v76 · CC0-1.0
All-in-one mail server that implements SMTP (both MTA and MX) and IMAP. Replaces Postfix, Dovecot, OpenDKIM, OpenSPF, OpenDMARC with single daemon.
★ 6.1k · ⟳ 12 days ago · v0.9.5 · GPL-3.0
Full-featured mail server solution based on Postfix and Dovecot.
★ 1.8k · ⟳ 6 days ago · GPL-3.0
docker-mailserver scores highest at 97/100, with 40 commits in the last 90 days, 19k GitHub stars and its latest release (v16.0.1) published 10 days ago. Forward Email has the most raw commit activity at 289 commits in 90 days.
4 of 8 are permissively licensed (MIT, Apache, BSD or similar): docker-mailserver (MIT), Mailu (MIT), Modoboa (ISC), Mail-in-a-Box (CC0-1.0). 3 use copyleft licences such as GPL or AGPL, which require you to publish changes if you distribute a modified version.
4 of 8 publish a Docker image or Compose file: docker-mailserver, Mailcow, Mailu, Forward Email. Docker support contributes 10 of the 100 available health points, because it is the clearest signal that self-hosting is a supported path rather than an afterthought.