IceWarp vs MDaemon (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IceWarp grades higher than MDaemon: 2.6 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
IceWarp grades higher on value for money, features and ease of use. They get the same grade on the free plan 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 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
Pick MDaemon if
- Fits if you run Windows servers and want an Exchange replacement for 5 to 2,500 users
- Works for resellers who want hosted and MSP options
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a price to compare, as none is shown
- Pricey if you add the Outlook Connector, ActiveSync and AntiVirus, which are separate licences
- Tight if you need phone support: it is $120 per incident unless you agree to the vendor's priority terms
- Not for you if you want a free plan, as only a 30-day trial is offered
How we grade them
| 2.6GPAIceWarpGood | 2.0GPAMDaemonFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CNo price on the pages we could read; they come from an order configurator. Licences cover 5 to 2,500 users and 1 to 3 years. With nothing published it is a C. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free 30-day trial with no credit card, and no free plan after it. | CA free 30-day trial is offered. The page we read doesn't say whether it needs a card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | BMail, calendar, chat, conferencing, documents and mobile sync across the tiers. Booking and webinar mode need Business. | CMail, webmail and client, Outlook support, ActiveSync, hosted and MSP options. The Outlook Connector, ActiveSync and AntiVirus are separately licensed. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. It needs accounts and users set up, and a self-hosted route exists, which keeps it at C. | DNo store rating on record. It is a server you install and administer, a D. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android apps, plus ActiveSync. The only integration listed is ChatGPT. | BWindows server with webmail and a Mac client listed, plus Outlook, ActiveSync and MailStore. |
| Best for | business email with chat, files and video at $1.35 a user | an Exchange-style mail server for Windows |
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: IceWarp and MDaemon. How we grade
Where they differ
- MDaemon is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- IceWarp also covers team chat, video calls and file sharing.
At a glance
| IceWarp | MDaemon | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $1.50 per user / month, billed monthly ($1.35 billed annually) | Not published |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | Free 30-day trial, no credit card needed | Free 30-day trial of MDaemon Email Server |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | IceWarp | MDaemon Technologies, Ltd. |
| Price read from | icewarp.com | Not confirmed |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
MDaemon
- Prices are set in an order configurator and could not be read as page text, so none are listed.
- Priority phone support needs agreeing to the vendor's terms; otherwise phone support is $120 per incident.
- Outlook Connector, ActiveSync and AntiVirus are separately licensed add-ons.
Key features
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.
MDaemon
- Email server for Windows
- The product page describes a powerful email server for Windows, deployable on physical or virtual servers.
- Webmail and client
- The page highlights a Windows and macOS email client and MDaemon Webmail.
- Outlook support
- MDaemon Connector for Outlook adds groupware features for people who prefer Microsoft Outlook.
- ActiveSync
- An add-on syncs email, calendar, contacts and tasks with ActiveSync devices.
- AntiVirus add-on
- MDaemon AntiVirus adds anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-phishing and anti-malware features.
- Hosted and MSP options
- MDaemon can also be delivered hosted, and the vendor describes SaaS licensing for service providers.
Plans
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.
MDaemon
Pricing could not be confirmed. See mdaemon.com.
Ways to pay less
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.
MDaemon
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, IceWarp or MDaemon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, IceWarp starts at $1.50 per user / month, billed monthly ($1.35 billed annually), and MDaemon has no price we could confirm.
Which has a free plan, IceWarp or MDaemon?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither IceWarp nor MDaemon has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do IceWarp and MDaemon run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only IceWarp lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app and macOS and Windows apps. 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.