Mail-in-a-Box
Turns any Ubuntu server into a fully functional mail server with one command.
Mail-in-a-Box vs Postal
Two self-hosted Communication - Email - Complete Solutions apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| Mail-in-a-Box | Postal | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Turns any Ubuntu server into a fully functional mail server with one command. | Complete and fully featured mail server for use by websites & web servers. |
| GitHub stars | 15,455 | 16,923 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 23 | 18 |
| Last activity | 2026-10-22 | 2026-10-01 |
| Latest release | v77 (2026-09-26) | 3.3.7 (2026-06-03) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | CC0-1.0 | MIT |
| Language / platform | Shell | Docker, Ruby |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~4 GB, 2 vCPU | ~4 GB, 2 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Categories | Communication - Email - Complete Solutions | Communication - Email - Complete Solutions |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- Mail-in-a-Box and Postal have a similar number of GitHub stars (15.5k vs 16.9k).
- Mail-in-a-Box has more recent repository activity (2026-10-22 vs 2026-10-01).
- Mail-in-a-Box published a release more recently (v77 on 2026-09-26; Postal's latest is 3.3.7 on 2026-06-03).
- Mail-in-a-Box is licensed under CC0-1.0, Postal under MIT.
- Mail-in-a-Box is written in Shell; Postal in Ruby.
- Deployment options listed upstream: Mail-in-a-Box: none listed; Postal: Docker.
Summary: Mail-in-a-Box leads on recent activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mail-in-a-Box or Postal more popular?
They are close: Mail-in-a-Box has 15,455 GitHub stars and Postal has 16,923 (as of 2026-11-05).
Which is more actively maintained, Mail-in-a-Box or Postal?
Commits in the last 12 months: Mail-in-a-Box 23, Postal 18. The last recorded activity was 2026-10-22 for Mail-in-a-Box and 2026-10-01 for Postal. Our health labels: Mail-in-a-Box is “Active”, Postal is “Active”.
What licenses do Mail-in-a-Box and Postal use?
Mail-in-a-Box: CC0-1.0. Postal: MIT.
Can I run Mail-in-a-Box and Postal with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for Postal. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Postal
Complete and fully featured mail server for use by websites & web servers.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - Email - Complete Solutions apps.