hMailServer vs IceWarp (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IceWarp grades higher than hMailServer: 2.6 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
hMailServer grades higher on the free plan. IceWarp grades higher on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
IceWarp
Business email, chat, files and meetings, cloud or self-hosted
Which one is for you
Pick hMailServer if
- Fits if you already run a Windows server and want mail on it
- Works for admins who add Roundcube or SquirrelMail on top
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't run Windows, as there's no Linux or macOS build
- Skip it if you want webmail included, since it's a server only
- Skip it if you want direct help from the developers, as support is a community forum
- Watch out: 5.7.1 is the latest stable, with 5.7.2 still a beta
Pick IceWarp if
- Fits if you want mail, chat and files for a small team at a few dollars a head
- Works for teams who might want to host it themselves later
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as there is only a 30-day trial
- Tight if you need ActiveSync or document editing, as Core doesn't include them
- Skip it if you need booking or webinar mode, which are Business only
- Watch out: self-hosted licence prices were not readable, so only cloud prices are listed
- Watch out: the pricing page offers a trial and sales contact, not a card checkout
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAhMailServerWeak | 2.6GPAIceWarpGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree, but it needs a Windows server of your own. | BCore is $1.35 a user a month billed yearly, below 60% of the cheapest paid email quarter. But 2 GB of mail and no ActiveSync; Essential is $2.25 and Business $4.05, so a B. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree under the AGPL with no paid plans. You supply the Windows machine. | CA free 30-day trial with no credit card, and no free plan after it. |
| Features | CStandard mail protocols, spam and virus filtering, domains, routing and backup. It's a server only, with no webmail, so you add one. | BMail, calendar, chat, conferencing, documents and mobile sync across the tiers. Booking and webinar mode need Business. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and administer a server yourself, and add a webmail separately. | CNo store rating on record. It needs accounts and users set up, and a self-hosted route exists, which keeps it at C. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only. The site lists no Linux or macOS build. | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, plus ActiveSync. The only integration listed is ChatGPT. |
| Best for | a free mail server for Windows | business email with chat, files and video at $1.35 a user |
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: hMailServer and IceWarp. How we grade
Price against what you get
hMailServer has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. IceWarp starts at $1.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7.
IceWarp scores higher, and starts $1.50 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than hMailServer for less, and 1 scores higher than IceWarp for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- hMailServer is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- hMailServer also covers workflow automation.
- IceWarp also covers calendar, email client, team chat, video calls and file sharing.
At a glance
| hMailServer | IceWarp | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free trial |
| Starts at | Free | $1.50 per user / month, billed monthly ($1.35 billed annually) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the AGPLv3 license, with no paid plans. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Free 30-day trial, no credit card needed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | hMailServer | IceWarp |
| Price read from | hmailserver.com | icewarp.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
hMailServer
- Runs on Microsoft Windows only; the site lists no Linux or macOS build.
- It is a server only, with no built-in webmail, so a separate webmail or mail client is needed.
- Support comes through a community forum, not from the developers directly.
- The latest stable release on the download page is 5.7.1; 5.7.2 is listed as a beta.
IceWarp
- Self-hosted licenses are priced per user per year; those amounts were not readable, so only cloud prices are listed.
- Booking and webinar mode require the Business tier.
- The pricing page offers the free trial and sales contact, not a self-serve card checkout.
Key features
hMailServer
- Standard mail protocols
- Supports POP3, SMTP and IMAP4, so it works with most email clients and with webmail systems that use IMAP and SMTP.
- Spam and virus filtering
- Built-in score-based spam checks include SPF and SURBL, and it can attach to ClamAV, SpamAssassin or ASSP.
- Administration tools
- hMailServer Administrator adds domains and accounts and changes settings. A web front end, hMailServer WebAdmin, covers the same tasks.
- Domains, routing and backup
- Lists virtual domains, routing, MX backup, multihoming, server-side rules, built-in backup and an SQL backend among its features.
- COM library
- A COM library lets scripts and other software drive the server, for example to create mailboxes for new employees automatically.
IceWarp
- Email and calendar
- Email server with calendar, contacts, notes and tasks, plus anti-virus and anti-spam.
- Chat and TeamChat
- Chat is in every tier, and Essential adds TeamChat for real-time team messaging.
- Conferencing
- Essential adds video conferencing with recording; Business adds webinar mode.
- Documents
- Collaborative document editing arrives in Essential.
- Mobile sync
- Mobile app on every tier and Exchange ActiveSync sync starting with Essential.
- Desktop and mobile apps
- The site lists Windows and Mac desktop apps and iOS and Android apps.
Plans
hMailServer
hMailServer$0
Free to download and run on your own Windows server under the AGPLv3 license.
IceWarp
Core$1.35
per user / month, billed annually ($1.50 billed monthly)
2 GB email and 4 GB total storage per user, calendar, chat, files, notes and tasks.
Essential$2.25
per user / month, billed annually ($2.50 billed monthly)
Adds 50 GB mail and 1 TB storage, document editing, conferencing and ActiveSync.
Business$4.05
per user / month, billed annually ($4.50 billed monthly)
Adds 200 GB mail storage, booking and webinar mode.
Ways to pay less
hMailServer
No public discounts listed.
IceWarp
- Annual discount
Annual billing lowers the per-user price
Core is $1.35 per user / month billed annually versus $1.50 monthly, Essential $2.25 versus $2.50, Business $4.05 versus $4.50.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, hMailServer or IceWarp?
As of Nov 13, 2026, hMailServer is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1.50 a month for each person for IceWarp. hMailServer is free, and IceWarp starts at $1.50 per user / month, billed monthly ($1.35 billed annually).
Which has a free plan, hMailServer or IceWarp?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only hMailServer has a free plan. IceWarp does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do hMailServer and IceWarp run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only IceWarp lists a web app and macOS, iOS and Android apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
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.