Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Roundcube VS Squirrelmail

Compare Roundcube VS Squirrelmail and see what are their differences

Roundcube logo Roundcube

Web-based IMAP email client

Squirrelmail logo Squirrelmail

SquirrelMail is a standards-based webmail package written in PHP.
  • Roundcube Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-18
  • Squirrelmail Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-23

Roundcube features and specs

  • Open Source
    Roundcube is free and open-source software, allowing for extensive customization and improvements by the community.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    It offers a modern and intuitive webmail interface that is easy to use for users of all technical levels.
  • Extensibility
    Roundcube supports plugins, enabling the addition of new features and functionalities tailored to specific needs.
  • Security
    The platform includes multiple security features such as built-in protection against XSS and CSRF attacks, ensuring a safer email experience.
  • Localization
    It supports multiple languages, making it accessible to users globally.

Possible disadvantages of Roundcube

  • Dependency on External Email Server
    Roundcube requires an external email server to function, which may be a drawback for users seeking an all-in-one solution.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running Roundcube can be resource-intensive, impacting the performance of low-end servers.
  • Complex Setup
    Initial installation and configuration can be complex, requiring technical expertise and familiarity with server management.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Roundcube's interface is not fully optimized for mobile devices, which may affect the user experience on smartphones and tablets.
  • Maintenance
    Regular updates and maintenance are necessary to ensure security and functionality, which can be time-consuming.

Squirrelmail features and specs

  • Lightweight
    SquirrelMail is extremely lightweight, making it suitable for small server environments and users with limited resources.
  • Compatibility
    The platform is compatible with any IMAP server and supports a range of popular email features, ensuring broad accessibility.
  • Security
    SquirrelMail focuses on security, providing a robust email environment with minimal vulnerabilities.
  • Simplistic Interface
    The straightforward, no-frills interface makes it easy for users to get accustomed to the platform without a steep learning curve.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, it allows users and developers to modify and customize the software as needed, promoting a collaborative development environment.

Possible disadvantages of Squirrelmail

  • Outdated Appearance
    The user interface of SquirrelMail appears dated compared to modern webmail clients, which may be unappealing to users accustomed to more contemporary designs.
  • Limited Features
    While it covers basic email functionalities, SquirrelMail lacks many advanced features offered by other webmail clients, such as integrated calendars and task management.
  • Maintenance
    SquirrelMail's development has slowed down over the years, and it may not receive frequent updates or new features, potentially impacting long-term usability.
  • Customization Complexity
    Although it is open source, customizing SquirrelMail requires substantial technical knowledge, making it challenging for users without programming expertise.
  • No Built-in Mobile Support
    The platform lacks a native mobile interface, requiring additional steps or third-party solutions for satisfactory mobile device compatibility.

Analysis of Roundcube

Overall verdict

  • Roundcube is a solid choice for those looking for a customizable and reliable webmail solution. Its open-source nature makes it a preferred option for developers and organizations seeking a cost-effective and adaptable solution.

Why this product is good

  • Roundcube is a popular web-based email client known for its user-friendly interface and rich feature set. It is an open-source application, which allows customization and flexibility for various use cases. With a robust plugin environment, Roundcube can be extended to fit specific needs, and it supports standards-compliant email protocols such as IMAP. Additionally, its responsive design ensures accessibility across different devices.

Recommended for

    Roundcube is recommended for small to medium-sized organizations, educational institutions, and individuals looking for a versatile and user-friendly webmail client. It is especially suitable for those who require an open-source solution that can be tailored to specific needs through plugins and custom development.

Roundcube videos

Siteground Webmail Review: Login Access Email Account and Roundcube Overview

More videos:

  • Review - Roundcube Webmail 2018 Review, Free Download For Windows

Squirrelmail videos

How to Setup a Complete Mail Server Postfix using 'SquirrelMail' Webmail on Ubuntu/Debian

More videos:

  • Tutorial - SquirrelMail Tutorial Series - 6 of 12 - How to manage your address book

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Roundcube and Squirrelmail)
Email
86 86%
14% 14
Email Clients
91 91%
9% 9
Enterprise Communication
0 0%
100% 100
Self-hosted Email
82 82%
18% 18

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Roundcube and Squirrelmail

Roundcube Reviews

Top 15 Self-hosted open-source free web-based email clients
RoundCube features LDAP connection, address book management, IDNA and SMTPUTF8 support, share/ global IMAP folders, import/ export options, threaded message listing and more.
Source: medevel.com
15 Best iRedMail Alternatives 2021
Roundcube also offers many of the functions you can find on iRedMail including message searching, folder manipulation, multiple sender identities, support for the external SMTP server, import/export, and unlimited messages and users.
Top 10 Webmail Clients in 2021
RoundCube RoundCube Webmail is a PHP webmail client that will work with a MySQL or Postgres database. One appealing feature it brings is the ability to skin the application-style user interface using XHTML and CSS 2. The app is a multi-language IMAP client whose features include MIME support, address book, editable folder search and spelling check, and it works in your web...
Source: www.plesk.com
5 open source webmail clients for browser-based email
I really like Horde's mobile UI, and the mail client was pretty easy to install separate from the rest of it. SquirrelMail and RoundCube are challenging to use on a mobile device. RoundCube has a supposed mobile plugin but I could not get it to work.
Source: opensource.com

Squirrelmail Reviews

Top 15 Self-hosted open-source free web-based email clients
SquirrelMail supports IMAP and SMTP protocols, and does not require JavaScript to render HTML pages or HTML message. It also supports mail attachments, MIME, spam messages filter, messages highlighting, address books, and offers folders support.
Source: medevel.com
5 open source webmail clients for browser-based email
I used to use Squirrelmail, and then moved on to Roundcube. The problem I've had with these has mainly been that it uses the old folder paradigm (thus also requiring an external system for filtering rules). Sieve scripts are fine for neckbeards but definitely not the sort of experience that most users are going to want. I've not really seen anything yet that uses labels &...
Source: opensource.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Roundcube should be more popular than Squirrelmail. It has been mentiond 16 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Roundcube mentions (16)

  • Proton Mail says Outlook for Windows is Microsoft's new data collection service
    I have tried several, and liked none of them. I'm currently on Geary, but it's lacking in functionality, and it has things like search results being a bit different upon each of my searches. Starred messages cannot be shown on top. Eyeroll. I think Evolution and Thunderbird are the top contenders, and of the self-hosted ones, Roundcube. https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Geary https://roundcube.net/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Universal Inbox / Email Client
    You could try a standalone email client like Mozilla's Thunderbird, or if you're experienced running a web server, you could check out something like Roundcube. I suppose you could even run it locally if you're familiar with PHP and/or Docker. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Thunderbird 115 Supernova Preview: The New Folder Pane
    What I really miss is a "web companion" for Thunderbird, basically something like https://roundcube.net/ or https://www.horde.org/apps/webmail, but a bit more powerful and with better UX. I'd like to use a Google Addressbook within such app, for example (there is a completely outdated plug-in for RoundCube). Another important thing would be powerful and fast search. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • I Want To Serve My Email Locally From My Linux Server With a Web-Based Interface
    Alternatively if you want to keep what you have I wouldn't recommend using the SoGO even though it's the nicest and most modern option. Mainly because it's a full groupware client and will require a lot of configuration. Instead using Roundcube is probably your best option. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Selfhosted webmail client for teams
    Roundcube might fit the bill for you. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

Squirrelmail mentions (4)

  • Meet PostPilot
    Have a local mail server be part of your development environment, along with a frontend like SquirrelMail or RainLoop. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Selfhosted Email by Maddy on Oracle Cloud
    It was removed from Debian in 2016. But there seems to be some recent activity: , . - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Goodbye HTML Gmail
    > I wonder what is the best self-hosted alternative is. For a webmail client probably [SquirrelMail](https://squirrelmail.org/). It's over 2 decades old, still maintained, and kept to its original simplicity. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Is there a way to receive emails on old computers?
    That would not be too hard and only requires a few lines of code to create a TLS proxy. An alternative would be a webmail system if you have a web browser on your old computer. Squirrel mail is extremely basic and is likely going to work in old browsers as long as they support framesets. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Roundcube and Squirrelmail, 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.

Rainloop - RainLoop is a web based email client.

mailcow - An open source mailserver suite.

Mailpile - Mailpile is a modern, fast web-mail client with user-friendly encryption and privacy features.

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

Horde - Horde Groupware is a free, enterprise ready, browser based collaboration suite.