hMailServer has been the default answer to “free mail server for Windows” for two decades. It is still alive: development moved to a community organisation on GitHub, and version 5.7.1 became the latest stable release on 29 September 2026. Still, admins keep asking for an alternative, usually for one of three reasons: they need webmail or groupware, they want to leave Windows, or they compare it with Postfix because every Linux guide uses Postfix. This article compares the realistic free and shareware options, based on vendor pages and documentation checked on 23 October 2026, not on our own testing.
The short answer
If you stay on Windows and want a free server with webmail included, look at MailEnable Standard: the vendor states it is free for personal and commercial use with no user limits. If you move to Linux and want everything configured for you, choose Mail-in-a-Box (one small server) or mailcow (Docker, more features, more RAM). Choose Postfix with Dovecot only if you want to build and tune the server yourself. If you need mail, calendars, chat and documents from one vendor, IceWarp covers that, but it is shareware (conditionally free). And if hMailServer already works for you, updating to 5.7.1 may be the simplest option of all.
hMailServer alternatives compared
| Feature | hMailServer | MailEnable Standard | Postfix + Dovecot | Mail-in-a-Box | mailcow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Licence | Free, open source (AGPL v3) | Free for personal and commercial use (vendor) | Free, open source; Dovecot CE under LGPL v2.1 | Free, public domain (CC0) | Free, open source (GPL v3) |
| Current version | 5.7.1 stable; 5.7.2 pre-release (both 29 Sep 2026) | MailEnable 10 (10.61 announced) | Postfix 3.11.7 (7 Sep 2026); Dovecot 2.4.5 (28 Aug 2026) | v76 (24 May 2026) | 2026-10 (21 Oct 2026) |
| Server OS | Windows; 5.7 is 64-bit only | Windows Server 2008 to 2025; no Server Core | Linux, BSD, macOS and other Unix systems | Ubuntu 22.04 x64 only, dedicated machine | Debian 11–13, Ubuntu 22.04+, AlmaLinux 8–9, Rocky 9 (Docker) |
| Protocols | SMTP, POP3, IMAP | SMTP, POP3, IMAP | SMTP (Postfix), IMAP and POP3 (Dovecot) | SMTP, IMAP, POP | SMTP, IMAP, ActiveSync (EAS) |
| Webmail | No (add Roundcube) | Yes | No (add separately) | Roundcube included | Included |
| Calendars and contacts | No | Not in Standard | No | Yes (Nextcloud) | Yes |
| Administration | Windows GUI, COM API | Windows console | Configuration files | Web control panel, almost no options | Web interface |
| Minimum hardware | Not stated | Not stated on the edition page | Not stated | 512 MB RAM, 1 GB recommended | 6 GiB RAM + 1 GiB swap, 20 GiB disk |
First: is hMailServer still a reasonable choice?
For many small Windows shops, yes. The GitHub organisation shipped a series of 5.7 builds in September 2026, and 5.7.1 is now marked as the latest release, not a beta. The 5.7 branch adds DMARC checking, modern password hashing (Argon2id or PBKDF2) and a limited service account for new installations. The 5.7.1 release notes also fix a script-injection problem in event scripts; the project advises anyone who cannot update to disable JScript and not give end users access to the COM API. So if your reason for leaving was “the project is dead”, check that first. Our hMailServer page covers versions and setup.
What hMailServer still does not do: webmail, antivirus without an external scanner, calendars, and anything outside Windows. Those are the honest reasons to switch.
Staying on Windows: MailEnable Standard and IceWarp
MailEnable Standard Edition is the closest like-for-like replacement. The vendor describes it as providing SMTP, IMAP, POP3 and webmail for Windows servers, free for “both personal and commercial usage, with no time or user restrictions”, with unlimited domains and users. Built-in anti-spam covers PTR checks, DNS blocklists and automatic IP banning. Supported systems are Windows Server 2008 through 2025; Server Core is not supported. Paid editions add more features, so check the edition list before you rely on something like ActiveSync. If you are moving an existing hMailServer installation, plan the mailbox move before you switch the MX record.
IceWarp is a different class of product: mail plus webmail, calendars, TeamChat, video conferences and document editing, self-hosted on Windows Server 2016+ or enterprise Linux, or hosted by the vendor. It is shareware (conditionally free), and it needs a real database server. It makes sense when the question is “replace Exchange”, not “replace hMailServer”.
Moving to Linux: Mail-in-a-Box and mailcow
Mail-in-a-Box turns a fresh Ubuntu 22.04 server into a complete mail system: Postfix, Dovecot, Roundcube, Nextcloud contacts and calendars, spam filtering, Let’s Encrypt certificates, backups and DNS records generated for you. The price is control: it takes the whole machine and is deliberately not configurable.
mailcow runs as a set of Docker containers on Debian, Ubuntu, AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux, with webmail, groupware and ActiveSync in one web interface. The documentation asks for 6 GiB of RAM plus swap as a minimum and recommends 8 GiB for about 5 to 10 users. LXC, OpenVZ and NAS devices are not supported. We compared the two in detail in Mail-in-a-Box vs mailcow.
hMailServer vs Postfix
This comparison comes up often, but the two are not the same kind of thing. hMailServer is a complete Windows mail server: SMTP, POP3 and IMAP in one service, configured through a GUI. Postfix is only the SMTP part, a mail transfer agent maintained by Wietse Venema since it started at IBM Research as an alternative to Sendmail. It runs on Linux, BSD, macOS and other Unix systems, not on Windows. To give users mailboxes you add Dovecot for IMAP and POP3, then a spam filter, DKIM signing and webmail if you need them.
Postfix is a good choice when you want full control and know Linux well: it is mature, fast and receives regular stable and legacy releases (3.11.7 in September 2026). For a small office that wants a working mail server this week, it is the most work of all the options here. Mail-in-a-Box and mailcow both use Postfix and Dovecot internally, so you get the same base without assembling it by hand.
How to choose
- Windows, mail only, current setup works. Update hMailServer to 5.7.1 and add Roundcube if users need webmail.
- Windows, webmail included, free for business. MailEnable Standard.
- Windows or Linux, full groupware from one vendor. IceWarp (shareware).
- Linux, one small VPS, minimal administration. Mail-in-a-Box.
- Linux, Docker, more users and ActiveSync. mailcow, with enough RAM.
- Linux, full control. Postfix + Dovecot, built by hand.
Whatever you choose, deliverability depends on DNS (MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, reverse DNS) and on the reputation of your IP address, not on the server software. Keep an archive of old mail before any migration; MailStore Home works for personal mailboxes only. None of these servers has been tested by us yet. See also our guide to free mail servers and mail archiving.
FAQ
Is hMailServer free?
Yes. It is free and open source under AGPL v3, and the code and releases are published on GitHub.
Is hMailServer still maintained?
Yes. A community organisation on GitHub published several 5.7 builds in September 2026; 5.7.1 is the latest stable release and 5.7.2 is a pre-release.
Is there an hMailServer for Linux?
No. hMailServer runs only on Windows. On Linux, the usual choices are Mail-in-a-Box, mailcow or Postfix with Dovecot.
What is a free hMailServer alternative for Windows?
MailEnable Standard Edition. The vendor states it is free for personal and commercial use, with SMTP, POP3, IMAP and webmail and no user limits.
hMailServer vs MailEnable: which is better?
hMailServer is open source with a COM API for scripting but no webmail. MailEnable Standard is closed source but includes webmail. If webmail matters, MailEnable is simpler; if scripting and open source matter, hMailServer.
Is hMailServer safe?
Keep it updated. Version 5.7.1 fixed a script-injection issue in event scripts. Use TLS, strong passwords and the limited service account that new 5.7 installations use, and give only administrators access to the COM API.
