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OpenChange VS hMail Server

Compare OpenChange VS hMail Server and see what are their differences

OpenChange logo OpenChange

OpenChange aims to provide a portable Open Source implementation of Microsoft Exchange Server and...

hMail Server logo hMail Server

hMailServer is a free e-mail server for Microsoft Windows.
  • OpenChange Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-02
  • hMail Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-22

OpenChange features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenChange is an open-source project, which means it is free to use, modify, and distribute. This provides significant cost savings for organizations and developers who can adapt the software to fit their specific needs without worrying about licensing fees.
  • Interoperability
    OpenChange provides interoperability with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook, allowing users to integrate Linux servers into Microsoft-dominated environments. This can be advantageous for organizations seeking to maintain compatibility with existing Microsoft infrastructure while using open-source tools.
  • Community Support
    As an open-source project, OpenChange benefits from community support. Users can engage with a community of developers and users to exchange ideas, solve issues, and contribute to the project’s improvement.

Possible disadvantages of OpenChange

  • Development Status
    OpenChange's development has been relatively stagnant, with few recent updates. This can lead to concerns about long-term support, security patches, and the project's future viability.
  • Complexity
    Setting up and configuring OpenChange can be complex and might require significant technical expertise, which could be a barrier for organizations without dedicated IT staff.
  • Limited Features
    While OpenChange aims to provide interoperability with Microsoft Exchange, it may lack some advanced features and functionalities that are available in the native Microsoft environment, potentially limiting its usefulness for large organizations with specific needs.

hMail Server features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    hMailServer is completely free to use, which makes it an attractive option for small businesses and organizations with limited budgets. It also has a source code available for customization.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    It is compatible with Windows operating systems, making it suitable for a variety of deployment environments, especially those already running on Windows.
  • Wide Protocol Support
    hMailServer supports various protocols like SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, which cover most of the functionalities required for email servers.
  • Built-in Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus
    The server includes robust anti-spam and anti-virus features that help in reducing unwanted emails and protecting against malicious attacks.
  • Administrator-Friendly
    It has an intuitive web-based administration interface that simplifies server management tasks, from user settings to email rules and more.

Possible disadvantages of hMail Server

  • Platform Limitation
    hMailServer is designed specifically for Windows, which limits its usability for organizations that prefer or exclusively use Unix/Linux-based systems.
  • Limited Scalability
    While adequate for small to medium-sized deployments, hMailServer may not be as scalable as some enterprise-level mail servers, potentially limiting its use for very large organizations.
  • Community Support
    Support primarily comes from the community via forums. There is no dedicated customer support team, which could be a constraint in urgent or complex troubleshooting scenarios.
  • Dependency on External Tools
    Though feature-rich, some advanced functionalities like detailed logging and backup may require additional external tools or scripts, complicating the setup.
  • Periodic Updates
    The frequency of updates and patches may not be as regular as those for commercial products, potentially leading to security vulnerabilities if the software is not monitored closely.

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenChange and hMail Server)
Email
22 22%
78% 78
SMTP Server
27 27%
73% 73
Self-hosted Email
25 25%
75% 75
Calendar
29 29%
71% 71

User comments

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenChange and hMail Server, you can also consider the following products

Zimbra - Zimbra is trusted by over 500 million users to increase productivity with a complete set of collaboration tools while maintaining total control over security and privacy.

iRedMail - A fully fledged, free email server solution, an open source project (GPL v2).

mailcow - An open source mailserver suite.

Kolab Community - Kolab Groupware is a secure, scalable, reliable, flexible, full-featured collaboration suite.

Microsoft Exchange Server - Microsoft Exchange Server is a messaging and collaborative software product developed by Microsoft.

Roundcube - Web-based IMAP email client