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Roundcube

Free, open-source webmail you install on your own server to read IMAP mail in a browser.

Open sourceSelf-hostableEmail clients
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About Roundcube

Roundcube is an open-source webmail client written in PHP that you install on a server alongside an IMAP mail server. It gives users a desktop-like interface in the browser with drag-and-drop message handling, threaded lists, HTML and plain-text composing, an address book with LDAP support, spell checking, multiple identities and PGP encryption through a plugin. A plugin API makes it extensible, and a responsive skin works on phones. Many web hosts and control panels such as cPanel and Plesk include it, so lots of people use Roundcube without knowing its name. It is free, and the project is now supported by Nextcloud after an acquisition in 2023. Because it is only a front end, you need to run and secure the mail server yourself or use a host that does; there is no mobile app, and the interface, while improved, is less polished than commercial webmail. Security updates are frequent and need applying promptly.

Best for: Admins and hosts who need a free browser-based client for their own mail server.

Pros and cons

What works

  • Free, open source and widely bundled by web hosts
  • Plugin API, LDAP address books and PGP support
  • Responsive interface works on phones

Why people leave

  • Needs your own server and IMAP backend
  • Less polished than commercial webmail
  • Frequent security updates to keep up with

Top Roundcube alternatives

See all 5
  1. 1Thunderbird logo
    Thunderbird

    A free desktop client for the same IMAP server, if browser access isn't required.

    66.5
  2. 2Fastmail logo
    Fastmail

    Hosted email with a fast web app, so there's no server to maintain.

    62.6
  3. 3mailbox.org logo
    mailbox.org

    Hosted European email with webmail, if you'd rather not self-host.

    59.6
  4. 4Zoho Mail logo
    Zoho Mail

    Hosted business webmail with a free plan for small teams.

    57.2
  5. 5Geary logo
    Geary

    A lightweight open-source desktop client for Linux users on the same server.

    55.3

Why people left Roundcube

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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Reviews

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Roundcube: common questions

Is Roundcube free?

Yes. Roundcube is free, open-source software that you can host yourself.

Is Roundcube open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at roundcube/roundcubemail. You can also run it on your own server.

What platforms does Roundcube run on?

Roundcube is available for Web and Self-hosted.

What are the best alternatives to Roundcube?

The highest-ranked Roundcube alternatives right now are Thunderbird, Fastmail and mailbox.org. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Roundcube alternatives