docker-mailserver vs Mox
| Tagline | Production-ready, config-driven mail server in a single container | Complete, modern self-hosted email server with JMAP, DANE, and built-in junk filtering |
| Category | Email & Newsletters | Email & Newsletters |
| Replaces | Gmail / Google Workspace | Gmail / Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp |
| GitHub stars | 18k | 5.7k |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Self-host difficulty | 4/5 Involved | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Manual | Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 8 days ago | 11 days ago |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
docker-mailserver
- No admin web UI — all config is via files and the CLI
- No bundled webmail or groupware (calendar/contacts)
- Deliverability, DNS, and TLS setup are entirely your responsibility
- Not a newsletter/marketing tool — mailboxes only
Mox
- No Docker image provided officially; manual binary deployment only
- Not designed for high-volume transactional or bulk email sending
- Admin UI and webmail are functional but lack polish compared to hosted solutions
- Relatively young project; some edge-case RFC compliance gaps may exist
Bottom line
Choose Mox if you want the lower-effort setup; choose docker-mailserver for the larger community and ecosystem. docker-mailserver has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
docker-mailserver
Production-ready, config-driven mail server in a single container
Mox
Complete, modern self-hosted email server with JMAP, DANE, and built-in junk filtering