Roundcube vs SOGo (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SOGo grades higher than Roundcube: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Roundcube grades higher on the free plan. SOGo 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.
Which one is for you
Pick Roundcube if
- Fits if you run your own mail server and want a webmail screen for it
- Works for hosting companies and admins who give users webmail
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a mailbox, because it only reads mail from your own IMAP and SMTP servers
- Not for you if you do not run a server, since you install and update it yourself
- Tight if you want a calendar or two-factor sign-in without plugins, as both are third-party
- Watch out: the site warns about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube
Pick SOGo if
- Fits if you run mail for an organisation and want webmail with shared calendars
- Works for admins who already run IMAP and database servers
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to run a server, as it gives you no hosted mailbox
- Skip it if you want production builds without paying, since those need a support contract
- Watch out: support contracts are priced in euros, 500 to 7,500 a year
- Watch out: the price list is dated September 2024
How we grade them
| 2.0GPARoundcubeFair | 2.2GPASOGoFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe software costs nothing, but it is only free if you host it, which needs a server, PHP 8.1 or newer and a database. Software you host yourself is graded C. | CFree only if you host it yourself, which needs a mail server and a database. Production builds need a support contract from 500 euros a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe whole application is free with no user or message limit. You still pay for the server and mail service it runs on, so it is not free to a person with nothing. | CThe software is free to download, but the free route is nightly builds that the project calls untested. |
| Features | CA mail client with an address book, shared folders, plugins and skins. It provides no mailbox, and calendar, two-factor sign-in and keyboard shortcuts come from third-party plugins. | BWebmail, calendars, contacts, ActiveSync and Outlook and Thunderbird support, and the listing shows no gap in the groupware job. |
| Ease of use | DSelf-hosting, with a web server and database to set up and keep updated. No store rating on record. | DYou install it and wire it to your own mail and database servers. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, in over 80 languages, with a responsive skin. Nextcloud is the only integration listed. | BA web interface, plus ActiveSync, Outlook, Thunderbird and Apple Calendar connections. There's no desktop app of its own. |
| Best for | webmail you host yourself | groupware you run yourself |
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: Roundcube and SOGo. How we grade
Price against what you get
Roundcube has no paid plan and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. SOGo has no paid plan and scores 2.3.
SOGo scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than Roundcube for less, and none scores higher than SOGo 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
- SOGo also covers calendar.
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableEmail client
At a glance
| Roundcube | SOGo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The whole application is free, with no limit on users or messages, but you host it yourself. | The software is free to download and run yourself, with community support through a mailing list. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Roundcube project | Alinto |
| Price read from | roundcube.net | sogo.nu |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Roundcube
- It is a client only: it needs your own IMAP and SMTP servers and does not provide a mailbox.
- You install and update it yourself on a web server with PHP 8.1 or newer and a database.
- The site posts a warning about scam emails that pretend to come from Roundcube.
- Calendar, two-factor authentication and other extras come from third-party plugins.
SOGo
- It is software to install: you supply the mail and database servers, and it provides no hosted mailbox.
- Production-build package repositories require a paid support contract from Alinto; free users get nightly builds.
- Nightly builds are described as untested and not recommended for production use.
- Support contracts are priced in euros per year: 500, 1,500, 5,000 or 7,500, per a price list dated September 2024.
Key features
Roundcube
- Full email client in the browser
- Drag-and-drop message management, threaded lists, MIME and HTML mail, spell checking and multiple sender identities.
- Address book
- Contacts with groups, find-as-you-type address entry and LDAP connectors.
- Shared folders and ACLs
- Supports shared and global IMAP folders and access control lists for them.
- Plugins and skins
- A plugin API and skin templates. Third-party additions listed include a calendar module, two-factor authentication and keyboard shortcuts.
- Security features
- Brute-force login prevention, XSS protection, OAuth login and support for PGP encryption.
- Multi-device interface
- A responsive skin, light and dark modes, three-column view and a translation into over 80 languages.
SOGo
- Web interface for mail and groupware
- An AJAX-based interface for email, shared calendars and address books across an organization.
- Standards-based sync
- Supports CalDAV, CardDAV and GroupDAV, with IMAP and SMTP for mail, so many native clients can connect.
- ActiveSync for phones
- iPhone, Android and Windows Phone devices can sync email, contacts, events and tasks through Microsoft ActiveSync.
- Outlook and Thunderbird support
- Outlook works through the free CalDAV Synchronizer plugin. Thunderbird has SOGo Connector and Integrator extensions.
- Built for large deployments
- The site says SOGo has run in production with thousands of users and focuses on scalability and open standards.
- Paid support tiers
- Yearly Alinto contracts cost 500 to 7,500 euros and add production repositories, incident tickets and response times.
Plans
Roundcube
Roundcube Webmail$0
Free under the GPL with unlimited users and messages; you supply the web server, database and mail servers.
SOGo
Community$0
Free software you host yourself, with nightly builds, mailing-list help and documentation. No official releases or bug fixes.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Roundcube or SOGo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Roundcube and SOGo are free to use.
Which has a free plan, Roundcube or SOGo?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Roundcube and SOGo 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.