SmarterMail review (2026): is the free plan enough?
Business mail server for Windows and Linux with webmail
Black Friday: is there a SmarterMail sale?
SmarterMail report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a mail server for Windows or Linux priced by mailbox
SmarterMail has a free edition for one domain with 10 mailboxes, and paid editions priced by mailbox count. The pages don't say if licences are one-time or yearly, and ActiveSync, MAPI/EWS and the antispam and antivirus engines cost extra.
Who SmarterMail is for
- 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
Who SmarterMail is not for
- 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
Why SmarterMail gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyProfessional is $550 for 50 mailboxes and Enterprise $700, with the billing term not shown. A price that unclear is a C, and the add-ons are extra.
- BFree plan and trialSmarterMail Free covers one domain and up to 10 mailboxes on Windows or Linux. No trial is listed for paid editions.
- CFeaturesWebmail, shared calendars, contacts, tasks, files, and Enterprise adds meetings, chat and archiving. ActiveSync from $325 for 25 mailboxes, MAPI/EWS and antispam are extra.
- DEase of useNo store rating on record. It is a server to install and administer, so a D.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWindows, Linux and web, with Outlook, Active Directory and LDAP, plus mobile sync as a paid add-on.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from SmarterMail's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make SmarterMail? Put this grade on your site
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/smartermail#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/smartermail.svg" alt="SmarterMail: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where SmarterMail stands among email apps
SmarterMail's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 29 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 24.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 69 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. SmarterMail’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 53
- BFree plan and trialAbove 69 of 122, level with 27
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 122, level with 77
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122, level with 54
Keep SmarterMail, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace SmarterMail you would be making an email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 69 of the 122 other email apps grade higher.
What you could make
- Calendar: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Storing and serving files for other people.
- A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: HIPAA.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. SmarterMail’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is SmarterMail?
SmarterMail is a mail server from SmarterTools for Windows and Linux, with webmail, calendars, contacts, tasks and file storage. It comes in Free, Professional, Enterprise and High Availability editions, and licenses are priced by number of mailboxes.
Worth knowing
- 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.
Key features
- 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.
SmarterMail pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, SmarterMail has a free plan, and paid plans start at $550 for Professional with 50 mailboxes; license term not stated.
- Starts at
- $550 for Professional with 50 mailboxes; license term not stated
- Free plan
- SmarterMail Free: one domain with up to 10 mailboxes, on Windows or Linux.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | One domain, up to 10 mailboxes; the vendor says it has 99% of Enterprise functionality. |
| Professional | $550for 50 mailboxes; billing term not shown | Webmail, shared calendars, contacts, tasks, notes, file storage. $2,500 for unlimited. |
| Enterprise | $700for 50 mailboxes; billing term not shown | Adds meetings, scheduling, chat and archiving. $1,500 at 500 mailboxes. |
| Enterprise, unlimited | $3,200for unlimited mailboxes; billing term not shown | Enterprise edition with no mailbox cap. |
| High Availability | $250per hub / month; nodes $300 per month | Clustered hubs and nodes for unlimited users and domains; first 30 days free. |
Read from smartertools.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with SmarterMail before you buy.
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Common questions
Does SmarterMail have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SmarterMail is listed for Windows, Linux and Web.
Does SmarterMail have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. SmarterMail is listed for Windows, Linux and Web.
Is SmarterMail open source?
SmarterMail is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Can SmarterMail be self-hosted?
Yes. SmarterMail's own site says it can be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.