IceWarp vs SmarterMail (2026): which should you pick?

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 SmarterMail if

• Fits if you run up to 10 mailboxes on one domain and want a free server
• Works for small hosts who need webmail and shared calendars

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you need to know the licence term, as the pricing page doesn't say one-time or annual
• Pricey if you add ActiveSync, MAPI/EWS or the antispam and antivirus engines
• Tight if you need meetings, chat or archiving, which are Enterprise only
• Watch out: antispam and antivirus add-ons need an annual licence with active maintenance

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.

SmarterMail

• ActiveSync (from $325 for 25 mailboxes), MAPI/EWS and the antispam and antivirus engines are paid add-ons.
• The pricing page does not say whether base licenses are one-time or annual.
• Antispam and antivirus add-ons need an annual license with active maintenance and support.

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.

SmarterMail

Webmail

A browser interface the vendor compares to Outlook on the web, with calendars, contacts, notes and tasks.

Shared collaboration

Shared calendars, contacts, tasks and notes, plus file storage under your own control.

Meetings and chat

Enterprise adds online meetings with screen sharing, scheduling and voice and video chat.

Archiving

Built-in archiving of email and chats for regulatory needs such as SOX and HIPAA.

Outlook and mobile sync

Enterprise can add MAPI and EWS for Outlook and Exchange ActiveSync for phones, both priced separately.

High availability

A clustered edition with hubs, nodes and centralized storage for fault tolerance.

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.

SmarterMail

• Free$0

  One domain, up to 10 mailboxes; the vendor says it has 99% of Enterprise functionality.

• Professional$550

  for 50 mailboxes; billing term not shown

  Webmail, shared calendars, contacts, tasks, notes, file storage. $2,500 for unlimited.

• Enterprise$700

  for 50 mailboxes; billing term not shown

  Adds meetings, scheduling, chat and archiving. $1,500 at 500 mailboxes.

• Enterprise, unlimited$3,200

  for unlimited mailboxes; billing term not shown

  Enterprise edition with no mailbox cap.

• High Availability$250

  per hub / month; nodes $300 per month

  Clustered hubs and nodes for unlimited users and domains; first 30 days free.

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.

SmarterMail

No public discounts listed.