Mdaemon vs hMailServer

Mdaemon and hMailServer are two email servers that cater to the ever-pressing need for sending and receiving words in digital form, but their approaches to the task couldn’t be more different. Mdaemon, the polished commercial offering, comes equipped with everything a small to medium-sized business might dream of—robust email management, calendaring, groupware functionality and even built-in chat for those who like their collaboration tools to come in a neatly wrapped package. With features like SSL/TLS encryption and two-factor authentication, Mdaemon practically waves a banner that reads, “Your emails are safe with me!” It’s the kind of server that feels like a posh, all-inclusive resort, where everything you need is just a click away.

hMailServer, by contrast, is more of a charming do-it-yourself cabin in the woods. Open-source and designed for Windows-based systems, it provides just enough essentials—support for multiple domains, POP3, IMAP, SMTP and anti-spam measures—to get the job done without any unnecessary frills. It may not have the bells and whistles of Mdaemon, but it offers something even more enticing for the tinkerers among us: scripting support. This means you can customize and integrate it to your heart’s content, turning it into the bespoke email server of your dreams—or at least, one that fits your exact specifications. Choosing between these two depends on whether you prefer an out-of-the-box experience or relish rolling up your sleeves and getting under the hood.

See also: Top 10 Email Servers