Mail-in-a-Box
Turns any Ubuntu server into a fully functional mail server with one command.
Activity has dropped noticeably. Check the repository before committing to it.
Commit activity more than 7% of tracked projects; popularity more than 85%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 15k |
|---|---|
| Latest release | v77 · 26 Sept 2026 |
| Repo updated | 26 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | CC0-1.0 |
| Built with | Shell |
Is Mail-in-a-Box actively maintained?
Development is ongoing. The repository recorded 14 commits over the same window, and the last three months alone account for 1 of them.
Activity is cooling: commits are down 89% against the previous quarter. One slow quarter is normal; two in a row is a signal.
The most recent tagged release, v77, shipped within the last month — a current, installable version exists today.
Mail-in-a-Box ranks #13 of 18 tracked communication - email - complete solutions projects. Several better-maintained options exist in the same category — they are listed below.
What Mail-in-a-Box actually does
Mail-in-a-Box automates the provisioning of an entire email server stack on an Ubuntu host through a single installation command. It configures standard mail transfer agents, IMAP services, DNS records, and TLS certificates collectively to provide a self-contained communication platform. The project is distributed under the CC0-1.0 public domain dedication.
Best fit: It suits administrators who want to deploy a complete, standalone email server on a fresh Ubuntu installation without manually configuring every individual mail component.
Worth knowing: Running your own mail server imposes significant operational overhead regarding IP reputation, spam filtering, and ongoing maintenance to ensure reliable message delivery. The project has a relatively modest maintenance tempo, so you may need to rely on community resources for troubleshooting.
Deployment notes
Because the setup script configures the host operating system directly and manages its own system services, it typically requires a clean, dedicated Ubuntu instance rather than a shared environment. You will also need persistent storage for mail spores and proper reverse DNS entries configured with your hosting provider.
Links
Mail-in-a-Box as a replacement for
Alternatives to Mail-in-a-Box
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
All-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP4, and SMTP support and a wide range of modern features.
Privacy-focused encrypted email for everyone. All-in-one alternative to Gmail + Mailchimp + Sendgrid.
Mail hosting and management platform including a modern and simplified web user interface.
Mail server suite based on Dovecot, Postfix and other open source software, that provides a modern Web UI for administration.
Production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.) running inside a container. Only configuration files, no SQL database.
Simple yet full-featured mail server as a set of Docker images.