# hMailServer review (2026): is it any good? > Free open-source mail server that runs on Windows Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. hMailServer is a mail server for Windows that handles IMAP, POP3 and SMTP. It has no mail interface of its own, so users read mail in an email client or in a separate webmail system. It is released under the AGPLv3 license and managed through an administration tool or a web front end. - **Category:** Email Apps - **Made by:** hMailServer - **Website:** https://www.hmailserver.com - **Runs on:** Windows - **Who should skip it:** Skip it if you don't run Windows, as there's no Linux or macOS build. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, hMailServer is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** Free and open source under the AGPLv3 license, with no paid plans. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | hMailServer | $0 | Free to download and run on your own Windows server under the AGPLv3 license. | Read from https://www.hmailserver.com/ on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with hMailServer before buying. ## Key features - **Standard mail protocols:** Supports POP3, SMTP and IMAP4, so it works with most email clients and with webmail systems that use IMAP and SMTP. - **Spam and virus filtering:** Built-in score-based spam checks include SPF and SURBL, and it can attach to ClamAV, SpamAssassin or ASSP. - **Administration tools:** hMailServer Administrator adds domains and accounts and changes settings. A web front end, hMailServer WebAdmin, covers the same tasks. - **Domains, routing and backup:** Lists virtual domains, routing, MX backup, multihoming, server-side rules, built-in backup and an SQL backend among its features. - **COM library:** A COM library lets scripts and other software drive the server, for example to create mailboxes for new employees automatically. ## Good for - Administrators who want a free mail server on Windows - Small businesses, schools and hobbyists hosting their own domains - Setups that pair the server with Roundcube or another webmail ## Worth knowing - Runs on Microsoft Windows only; the site lists no Linux or macOS build. - It is a server only, with no built-in webmail, so a separate webmail or mail client is needed. - Support comes through a community forum, not from the developers directly. - The latest stable release on the download page is 5.7.1; 5.7.2 is listed as a beta. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 1.8 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. hMailServer is a free open-source mail server that runs on Windows. It has no built-in webmail, support is a community forum, and the latest stable release is 5.7.1. - **Value for money: C.** Free, but it needs a Windows server of your own. - **Free plan and trial: B.** Free under the AGPL with no paid plans. You supply the Windows machine. - **Features: C.** Standard mail protocols, spam and virus filtering, domains, routing and backup. It's a server only, with no webmail, so you add one. - **Ease of use: D.** You install and administer a server yourself, and add a webmail separately. - **Platforms and integrations: D.** Windows only. The site lists no Linux or macOS build. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the hMailServer project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among email apps - hMailServer's GPA of 1.8 is higher than 2 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 8. - It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 69 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0). - hMailServer has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/email ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** hMailServer is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 112 of the 122 other email apps grade higher. - You could not: Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change. - You could not: A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with ClamAV, SpamAssassin, ASSP, Roundcube, SquirrelMail **Tags:** Open source, Self-hostable, Workflow automation ## Alternatives - [MDaemon](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mdaemon): Email server for Windows with webmail and Outlook connector. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hmailserver-vs-mdaemon) - [SmarterMail](https://toolgpa.com/tools/smartermail): Business mail server for Windows and Linux with webmail. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hmailserver-vs-smartermail) - [Axigen](https://toolgpa.com/tools/axigen): Mail server with calendars and webmail for Windows and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/axigen-vs-hmailserver) - [IceWarp](https://toolgpa.com/tools/icewarp): Business email, chat, files and meetings, cloud or self-hosted. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hmailserver-vs-icewarp) - [iRedMail](https://toolgpa.com/tools/iredmail): Open-source mail server installer for Linux and BSD. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/hmailserver-vs-iredmail) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.hmailserver.com/ - https://www.hmailserver.com/functionality/ - https://www.hmailserver.com/download/ - https://www.hmailserver.com/contact/ Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/hmailserver Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).