Alternatives to Mox
An all-in-one open-source mail server for low-maintenance self-hosted email. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Mox
An all-in-one open-source mail server for low-maintenance self-hosted email.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Mox.
Mailu
A full-featured self-hosted mail server delivered as a set of Docker images.
Mailu runs as a set of Docker images with webmail, a web admin panel, per-domain delegation and quotas, but its releases are infrequent.
docker-mailserver
A complete mail server with SMTP, IMAP, antispam and antivirus, packaged as a single container.
docker-mailserver packages SMTP, IMAP, antispam and antivirus in one container with LDAP support and a large community, but lacks webmail and a graphical admin interface.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Mox as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Cyrus IMAP
An open-source email, contacts and calendar server with IMAP, JMAP, CalDAV and CardDAV support.
Mox bundles SMTP, IMAP and webmail in a single low-maintenance program, but lacks calendar and contact serving and is less widely deployed.
Dovecot
An open-source IMAP and POP3 server that stores mailboxes and serves them to mail clients.
Mox combines IMAP with SMTP and webmail in one program, removing the need for a separate MTA, but is younger and less widely deployed.
Exim
An open-source mail transfer agent for Unix systems with flexible routing and mail checking.
Mox replaces a standalone MTA with one program covering SMTP, IMAP and webmail plus built-in DKIM, SPF and DMARC, but is less proven.
iRedMail
Free open-source mail server installer for Linux and BSD.
Mox replaces a multi-package stack with a single program covering SMTP, IMAP, webmail, DKIM and automatic TLS, though it is younger and less widely deployed.
Maddy
Composable single-binary open-source mail server written in Go.
Mox is also a single program, covering SMTP, IMAP and webmail with built-in DKIM, MTA-STS, DANE, automatic TLS and junk filtering.
Mail-in-a-Box
Turnkey open-source script that builds a full mail server on Ubuntu.
Mox is a single program for SMTP, IMAP and webmail with built-in DKIM, SPF, DMARC and automatic TLS, younger and less widely deployed.
Mailcow
Dockerized open-source mail server suite with web admin and webmail.
Mox replaces the container suite with a single program covering SMTP, IMAP and webmail, with automatic TLS and lower maintenance, but less deployment history.
Modoboa
Open-source mail hosting platform with an admin UI and webmail.
Mox is a single program covering SMTP, IMAP and webmail with built-in DKIM, SPF, DMARC and automatic TLS, but is younger and less widely deployed.
OpenSMTPD
A free SMTP server from the OpenBSD project for sending and receiving email.
Mox replaces the SMTP server and adds IMAP, webmail, automatic TLS and junk filtering in one program, though it is younger and less widely deployed.
Poste.io
All-in-one Docker mail server with web admin and built-in TLS.
Mox is a free, open-source single program covering SMTP, IMAP and webmail with automatic TLS, running without Docker but less widely deployed.
Postfix
A widely used open-source mail transfer agent for routing and delivering email.
Mox replaces Postfix with one program that also covers IMAP and webmail, with built-in DKIM, SPF, DMARC and automatic TLS, though it is less widely deployed.
Stalwart
Rust-based all-in-one mail server supporting JMAP, IMAP, and SMTP.
Mox is a single-program Go mail server with SMTP, IMAP, webmail, automatic TLS and built-in DKIM, SPF and DMARC, but it lacks Stalwart's JMAP support.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Google Postmaster Tools
Google's web dashboard for checking a sending domain's reputation and mail deliverability to Gmail.
