Afterlogic WebMail vs Open-Xchange (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterlogic WebMail grades higher than Open-Xchange: 2.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Afterlogic WebMail grades higher on value for money, the free plan and platforms. Open-Xchange grades higher on features. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Afterlogic WebMail
Webmail front end for an existing IMAP mail server
Which one is for you
Pick Afterlogic WebMail if
- Fits if you run a small IMAP server and want calendar and files beside the mail
- Works for hosting providers, since there is a per-server licence at $299 for cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a mail server too, because it only fronts an IMAP server you provide
- Pricey if you keep updates going: Pro maintenance after the first year costs 100% of the licence price every year
- Tight if you want help included, as extended support and remote installation are $99 each
- Watch out: the Lite pages on afterlogic.org gave server errors when read, so Lite details come from GitHub
- Not for you if you need a desktop app, as none is listed
Pick Open-Xchange if
- Fits if you are a hosting provider that wants a branded mail platform
- Works for a public body that wants to run mail on its own servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are one person or a small team, as the site is aimed at providers and the public sector
- Skip it if you want a price before talking to someone
- Not for you if you want a free plan or a trial
- Watch out: the public-sector page says it's most often installed on-premise
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAfterlogic WebMailGood | 1.8GPAOpen-XchangeWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $49 once for 5 users or $99 for 100, below a year of this category's middle price. But upkeep after year one is 100% of the price a year, and extended support and installation are $99 each. | CNo prices are published, so there is nothing to compare. The site sends buyers to a demo. |
| Free plan and trial | BLite is free and open source, and Pro has a 30-day trial download. Both are installed on your own server, so a B and not an A. | FNothing free is listed. Buyers book a demo or contact sales. |
| Features | CCalendar, tasks, files, branded mobile apps, many languages and an ActiveSync option. It is still webmail for an IMAP server you provide. | BEmail, calendar, documents, drive, tasks, encryption and an AI agent, all in one suite, with nothing missing from the mail and calendar job. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a script you install on your server, so it takes setup. | CNo store rating on record. A provider sets it up for you, and what you get depends on who that is. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus branded mobile apps on Pro. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. | CWeb only on record, with Dovecot Pro, PowerDNS and openDesk as connections. No apps of its own listed. |
| Best for | webmail with calendar and files for a small IMAP server | email platforms sold through providers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Afterlogic WebMail and Open-Xchange. How we grade
Where they differ
At a glance
| Afterlogic WebMail | Open-Xchange | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $49 one-time for 5 users, first year of support included | Not published |
| Free plan | WebMail Lite PHP is free and open source under AGPL-3.0 on GitHub; WebMail Pro adds the paid features. | None |
| Free trial | 30-day full-featured trial download of WebMail Pro PHP | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Afterlogic Corp. | Open-Xchange |
| Price read from | afterlogic.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Afterlogic WebMail
- Pro maintenance after the first year costs 100% of the software price per year.
- The Lite pages on afterlogic.org returned server errors when read, so Lite details come from its GitHub page.
- Extended support ($99) and remote installation ($99) are separate purchases.
Open-Xchange
- No prices are published; the site directs buyers to book a demo or contact sales.
- The site markets to service providers and the public sector, not individuals or small teams.
- The public-sector page says it is most commonly deployed on-premise.
- OX App Suite is described as open source, but Dovecot Pro, a related product, is a commercial edition.
Key features
Afterlogic WebMail
- Webmail for your IMAP server
- WebMail Pro is a webmail front end for an existing IMAP server, written with an AJAX interface and available in PHP and ASP.NET.
- Calendar and tasks
- Pro includes a personal calendar with recurring events and reminders, tasks, and can act as a CalDAV server.
- Files
- Pro adds cloud file storage with DAV sync, backed by local or S3-compatible storage.
- Branded mobile apps
- The vendor offers iOS and Android apps for email and files that it can adjust to a customer's branding.
- Languages
- The page lists more than 30 languages and right-to-left support for Hebrew and Arabic.
- ActiveSync option
- ActiveServer is a premium add-on that brings ActiveSync support to WebMail Pro.
Open-Xchange
- Email and calendar
- A browser interface for email and calendar that the vendor says works the same on desktop, tablet and mobile.
- Documents, drive and tasks
- Text documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the browser, cloud storage tied to email, and personal and shared tasks.
- AI agent
- An integrated agent can write emails, schedule appointments, and search, summarize and organize messages, contacts and files.
- White-label for providers
- Service providers can brand the platform, bundle features and sell tiers, add-ons and upgrades to their own customers.
- Deployment choices
- Install on-premise, in a public cloud, or use the managed OX Cloud service.
- OX Guard encryption
- OX Guard provides encrypted email for sensitive communication, which the vendor pitches to regulated professions.
Plans
Afterlogic WebMail
WebMail Lite PHP$0
Open-source webmail for an existing IMAP server; you host it yourself.
Pro, 5 users$49
one-time, per-user license
Perpetual license with first year of standard support and updates.
Pro, 100 users$99
one-time, per-user license
Same Pro license sized for 100 mailboxes.
Pro, 1000 users$299
one-time, per-user license
Same Pro license sized for 1,000 mailboxes.
Pro, 25000 users$999
one-time, per-user license
Largest listed per-user tier; unlimited users is by contacting sales.
Pro, 1 server$299
one-time, per-server license
Offer for shared-hosting providers on cPanel, Plesk or DirectAdmin servers.
Open-Xchange
Pricing could not be confirmed. See ox.io.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Afterlogic WebMail or Open-Xchange?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterlogic WebMail starts at $49 one-time for 5 users, first year of support included, and Open-Xchange has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, Afterlogic WebMail or Open-Xchange?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Afterlogic WebMail has a free plan. Open-Xchange does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.