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iRedMail vs Mail-in-a-Box (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Mail-in-a-Box grades higher than iRedMail: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

iRedMail grades higher on the free plan. Mail-in-a-Box grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.

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

Free plan · from $499/yr
Full detailsiredmail.org

Mail-in-a-Box

Free script that turns a cloud server into your own mail server

Free
Full detailsmailinabox.email

Which one is for you

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

Pick Mail-in-a-Box if

  • Fits if you want your own mail on your own domain and can run a server
  • Works for people who would rather run one script than configure ten programs

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you want a home connection to do it, since it needs a cloud server with a clean IP
  • Skip it if you don't want to be the sysadmin
  • Watch out: the page warns that other mail services may block or filter mail from your own server
  • Watch out: it needs a dedicated fresh machine, and manual changes after install are overwritten

How we grade them

1.8GPAiRedMailWeak2.0GPAMail-in-a-BoxFair
Value for money
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.
CThe software is free, but the guide puts a server at about $12 a month plus a domain at about $17 a year, which lands in the dearer end of the category.
Free plan and trial
BThe installer and a basic admin panel are free with unlimited domains, mailboxes and lists. You need your own server.
CFree software that still needs a rented server running before anything works.
Features
CInstalls the stack with webmail, groupware, antispam and antivirus and lets you pick backends. The full admin panel and Enterprise Edition cost extra.
BMail server, webmail, automatic DNS and security records, spam filtering, backups, multiple users and domains. The listing shows no gap in the core job.
Ease of use
DNo store rating on record. You run the server yourself on a supported Linux or BSD release, so a D.
DYou install it on a fresh machine and act as the sysadmin, with help from a forum and chat room.
Platforms and integrations
DLinux and BSD servers only. SOGo is not available on some releases such as CentOS Stream, Rocky and Alma 10.
CA web admin and webmail, with Roundcube, Nextcloud and Let's Encrypt. No apps of its own.
Best fora free Linux or BSD mail server installerone script that makes a cloud server a mail server

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: iRedMail and Mail-in-a-Box. How we grade

Price against what you get

iRedMail starts at $20.83 a month when paid by the year and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Mail-in-a-Box has no paid plan and scores 2.0.

Mail-in-a-Box scores higher and starts $20.83 a month lower. Of the other email apps on the chart, 97 score higher than iRedMail for less, and none scores higher than Mail-in-a-Box for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessiRedMailMail-in-a-Box

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
The full chart of email apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planOpen sourceSelf-hostableCalendarEmail client

    At a glance

    iRedMailMail-in-a-Box
    PricingFree planFree
    Starts at$499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renewFree
    Free planiRedMail itself is free and open source, with a free basic web admin panel.The software is free; you pay for your own server and domain, which the setup guide puts at about $12 a month plus roughly $17 a year.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    Web
    Linux
    Made byiRedMailMail-in-a-Box project
    Price read fromiredmail.orgmailinabox.email
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    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.

    Mail-in-a-Box

    • It cannot run on a home connection: it needs a cloud server with a clean IP, so the guide advises renting a virtual machine.
    • It must be installed on a fresh machine dedicated to it, and manual changes after install are overwritten.
    • The page warns that other mail services may block or spam-filter mail sent from your own server.
    • You act as the system administrator and must fix issues yourself; help comes from a forum and chat room.

    Key features

    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.

    Mail-in-a-Box

    Webmail and mail server in one
    Includes Roundcube webmail and an IMAP and SMTP server for phones and desktop mail apps, with contacts and calendar sync.
    Automatic DNS and security records
    When the box acts as your nameserver it sets SPF, DKIM, DMARC and MTA-STS records, and can add DNSSEC with DANE.
    Control panel and API
    A web panel to add mail accounts, aliases and custom DNS records, run status checks and set up backups, also reachable over a REST API.
    Spam filtering and backups
    Spam filtering with greylisting, mail filter rules, TLS certificates from Let's Encrypt and automated backups to Amazon S3 and similar services.
    Multiple users and domains
    One box can host mail for several users and domain names, with simple static website hosting on the side.

    Plans

    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.

    Mail-in-a-Box

    • Mail-in-a-Box$0

      Free software. The setup guide estimates about $12 a month for the cloud server, plus a domain name at about $17 a year.

    Ways to pay less

    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.

    Mail-in-a-Box

    No public discounts listed.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, iRedMail or Mail-in-a-Box?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, Mail-in-a-Box is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20.83 a month when paid by the year for iRedMail. iRedMail starts at $499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renew, and Mail-in-a-Box is free.

    Which has a free plan, iRedMail or Mail-in-a-Box?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both iRedMail and Mail-in-a-Box have a free plan.

    Which platforms do iRedMail and Mail-in-a-Box run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only iRedMail lists a Linux app and only Mail-in-a-Box lists a web 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.
    How we review and grade