Afterlogic WebMail vs Roundcube (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterlogic WebMail grades higher than Roundcube: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Afterlogic WebMail grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
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 Roundcube if
- Fits if you run your own mail server and want a webmail screen for it
- Works for hosting companies and admins who give users webmail
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a mailbox, because it only reads mail from your own IMAP and SMTP servers
- Not for you if you do not run a server, since you install and update it yourself
- Tight if you want a calendar or two-factor sign-in without plugins, as both are third-party
- Watch out: the site warns about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAAfterlogic WebMailGood | 2.0GPARoundcubeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CThe software costs nothing, but it is only free if you host it, which needs a server, PHP 8.1 or newer and a database. Software you host yourself is graded C. |
| 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. | BThe whole application is free with no user or message limit. You still pay for the server and mail service it runs on, so it is not free to a person with nothing. |
| Features | CCalendar, tasks, files, branded mobile apps, many languages and an ActiveSync option. It is still webmail for an IMAP server you provide. | CA mail client with an address book, shared folders, plugins and skins. It provides no mailbox, and calendar, two-factor sign-in and keyboard shortcuts come from third-party plugins. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It is a script you install on your server, so it takes setup. | DSelf-hosting, with a web server and database to set up and keep updated. No store rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus branded mobile apps on Pro. No desktop app, and the listing names no integrations. | CWeb only, in over 80 languages, with a responsive skin. Nextcloud is the only integration listed. |
| Best for | webmail with calendar and files for a small IMAP server | webmail you host yourself |
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 Roundcube. How we grade
Where they differ
- Afterlogic WebMail also covers calendar.
At a glance
| Afterlogic WebMail | Roundcube | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $49 one-time for 5 users, first year of support included | Free |
| Free plan | WebMail Lite PHP is free and open source under AGPL-3.0 on GitHub; WebMail Pro adds the paid features. | The whole application is free, with no limit on users or messages, but you host it yourself. |
| Free trial | 30-day full-featured trial download of WebMail Pro PHP | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Afterlogic Corp. | Roundcube project |
| Price read from | afterlogic.com | roundcube.net |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Roundcube
- It is a client only: it needs your own IMAP and SMTP servers and does not provide a mailbox.
- You install and update it yourself on a web server with PHP 8.1 or newer and a database.
- The site posts a warning about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube.
- Calendar, two-factor authentication and other extras come from third-party plugins.
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.
Roundcube
- Full email client in the browser
- Drag-and-drop message management, threaded lists, MIME and HTML mail, spell checking and multiple sender identities.
- Address book
- Contacts with groups, find-as-you-type address entry and LDAP connectors.
- Shared folders and ACLs
- Supports shared and global IMAP folders and access control lists for them.
- Plugins and skins
- A plugin API and skin templates. Third-party additions listed include a calendar module, two-factor authentication and keyboard shortcuts.
- Security features
- Brute-force login prevention, XSS protection, OAuth login and support for PGP encryption.
- Multi-device interface
- A responsive skin, light and dark modes, three-column view and a translation into over 80 languages.
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.
Roundcube
Roundcube Webmail$0
Free under the GPL with unlimited users and messages; you supply the web server, database and mail servers.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Afterlogic WebMail or Roundcube?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Afterlogic WebMail starts at $49 one-time for 5 users, first year of support included, and Roundcube is free.
Which has a free plan, Afterlogic WebMail or Roundcube?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Afterlogic WebMail and Roundcube have a free plan.
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.