hMailServer vs iRedMail (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, hMailServer and iRedMail share a 1.8 GPA, both have a free plan, and hMailServer has no paid plan to buy, against $20.83 a month when paid by the year for iRedMail.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on all five counts.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
iRedMail
Open-source mail server installer for Linux and BSD
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 iRedMail if
- Fits if you want to build your own mail server in one go on Linux or BSD
- Works for admins who will look after backups, DNS and updates
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need the full admin panel: iRedAdmin-Pro is $499 a year for one server, $250 to renew
- Skip it if you want support, as the Pro licence does not include support for iRedMail itself
- Not for you if you run Windows or macOS servers
- Watch out: the Enterprise Edition price was not readable on the site
- Watch out: SOGo is missing on some newer Linux releases
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAhMailServerWeak | 1.8GPAiRedMailWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree, but it needs a Windows server of your own. | CThe installer is free, but self-hosted is a C. The fuller admin panel iRedAdmin-Pro is $499 for 1 year per server, then $250 a year to renew, and sales are final. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree under the AGPL with no paid plans. You supply the Windows machine. | BThe installer and a basic admin panel are free with unlimited domains, mailboxes and lists. You need your own server. |
| Features | CStandard mail protocols, spam and virus filtering, domains, routing and backup. It's a server only, with no webmail, so you add one. | CInstalls the stack with webmail, groupware, antispam and antivirus and lets you pick backends. The full admin panel and Enterprise Edition cost extra. |
| Ease of use | DYou install and administer a server yourself, and add a webmail separately. | DNo store rating on record. You run the server yourself on a supported Linux or BSD release, so a D. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only. The site lists no Linux or macOS build. | DLinux and BSD servers only. SOGo is not available on some releases such as CentOS Stream, Rocky and Alma 10. |
| Best for | a free mail server for Windows | a free Linux or BSD mail server installer |
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 iRedMail. 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. iRedMail starts at $20.83 a month when paid by the year and scores 1.3.
They score the same, and hMailServer starts $20.83 a month lower. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than hMailServer for less, and 97 score higher than iRedMail 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 also covers workflow automation.
- iRedMail also covers calendar and email client.
At a glance
| hMailServer | iRedMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renew |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the AGPLv3 license, with no paid plans. | iRedMail itself is free and open source, with a free basic web admin panel. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | hMailServer | iRedMail |
| Price read from | hmailserver.com | iredmail.org |
| 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.
iRedMail
- The iRedAdmin-Pro license covers one server, and support for iRedMail itself is not included.
- Runs on supported Linux and BSD releases; SOGo is not available on some of them (CentOS Stream, Rocky and Alma 10).
- The site recommends Enterprise Edition for new servers; its per-mailbox or per-server price was not readable.
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.
iRedMail
- Full stack installer
- Installs and configures the mail server components in a few minutes, per the site.
- Webmail and groupware
- Roundcube webmail and SOGo groupware, which adds CalDAV, CardDAV, tasks and ActiveSync.
- Antispam and antivirus
- SpamAssassin, ClamAV, SPF, DKIM, greylisting, whitelisting and blacklisting are listed.
- Choice of backends
- Accounts can be stored in OpenLDAP, MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
- Unlimited accounts
- The site says there is no limit on domains, users, mailing lists or admins.
- Enterprise Edition
- A separate edition with Active Directory replication, domain admins, throttling and two-factor authentication.
Plans
hMailServer
hMailServer$0
Free to download and run on your own Windows server under the AGPLv3 license.
iRedMail
iRedMail$0
Open-source installer with unlimited domains, mailboxes and mailing lists.
iRedAdmin-Pro, 1 year$499
per server, for a 1-year license
Full admin panel, SQL or LDAP edition. Renews at $250 per year; sales are final.
iRedAdmin-Pro, 2 years$699
per server, for a 2-year license
Same panel; renew before expiry for the third year.
iRedAdmin-Pro, 3 years$899
per server, for a 3-year license
Same panel; renew before expiry for the fourth year.
Ways to pay less
hMailServer
No public discounts listed.
iRedMail
- Other savings
5% off two licenses, 10% off four
The iRedAdmin-Pro order page gives 5% off when buying 2 licenses and 10% off when buying 4.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, hMailServer or iRedMail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, hMailServer is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20.83 a month when paid by the year for iRedMail. hMailServer is free, and iRedMail starts at $499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renew.
Which has a free plan, hMailServer or iRedMail?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both hMailServer and iRedMail have a free plan.
Which platforms do hMailServer and iRedMail run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only hMailServer lists a Windows app and only iRedMail lists a Linux 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.