Mail-in-a-Box vs Modoboa (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Modoboa grades higher than Mail-in-a-Box: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Modoboa grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade 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.
Mail-in-a-Box
Free script that turns a cloud server into your own mail server
Free
Which one is for you
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
Pick Modoboa if
- Fits if you want to run your own mail for several domains with one admin panel
- Works for admins who already look after Linux servers and DNS
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want to run DNS, deliverability and updates yourself
- Skip it if you want paid support built in: installation starts at EUR 150 and issue help at EUR 120
- Too heavy for one person who just wants an inbox
- Watch out: parts of its development are funded by sponsoring campaigns with euro targets
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAMail-in-a-BoxFair | 2.2GPAModoboaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | CFree and open source (ISC licence) with unlimited domains and mailboxes, but only if you host it. Self-hosted free is a C for value. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree software that still needs a rented server running before anything works. | BFree outright. You need your own server to run it, so a B. |
| Features | BMail server, webmail, automatic DNS and security records, spam filtering, backups, multiple users and domains. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | BA full stack in one installer: admin panel, webmail, filters, auto-responder, sender reputation tools and monitoring. We found no gap in the mail-server job in the listing. |
| Ease of use | DYou install it on a fresh machine and act as the sysadmin, with help from a forum and chat room. | DNo store rating on record. You run the server, DNS and mail delivery yourself, which is a D whatever the quick installer promises. |
| Platforms and integrations | CA web admin and webmail, with Roundcube, Nextcloud and Let's Encrypt. No apps of its own. | CWeb admin and webmail only, on a server you run. It lists Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd and Let's Encrypt, but no apps. |
| Best for | one script that makes a cloud server a mail server | a self-hosted mail server with an admin panel |
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: Mail-in-a-Box and Modoboa. How we grade
Price against what you get
Mail-in-a-Box has no paid plan and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Modoboa has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Mail-in-a-Box for less, and none scores higher than Modoboa 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
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableCalendarEmail client
At a glance
| Mail-in-a-Box | Modoboa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | 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. | The software is free and open source (ISC license on GitHub); you host it on your own server. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Mail-in-a-Box project | NGYNLABS |
| Price read from | mailinabox.email | modoboa.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Modoboa
- You run and maintain the server yourself, including DNS and deliverability.
- Paid help is offered separately: installation from EUR 150 and issue assistance from EUR 120, per the site.
- Features are funded partly through sponsoring campaigns with euro targets.
Key features
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.
Modoboa
- Admin panel
- A web panel manages domains, mailboxes, aliases and more.
- Built-in webmail
- Users can read mail in a browser through the bundled webmail, which also has calendars and address books.
- Filters and auto-responder
- Users can create filtering rules and an auto-responder.
- Sender reputation tools
- The site says DKIM, SPF and DMARC are used to protect delivery, and TLS certificates come from Let's Encrypt.
- Monitoring
- Built-in graphs show message distribution by type and average size.
- Quick installer
- The site says the installer handles most of the work and you only need to configure DNS.
Plans
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.
Modoboa
Free$0
Open-source mail server you install yourself, with unlimited domains, mailboxes and aliases.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Mail-in-a-Box or Modoboa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Mail-in-a-Box and Modoboa are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Mail-in-a-Box or Modoboa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Mail-in-a-Box and Modoboa have a free plan.
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.