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Mail-in-a-Box

On the record

Administration and API
A web control panel manages accounts, aliases, DNS records, and backups, and its functionality is also available through a RESTful HTTP API.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
API
Control panel functionality can also be accessed through a RESTful HTTP API.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Backups
It supports automated backups to Amazon S3 and other services.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Contacts and calendar
It includes contacts and calendar synchronization.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Cost estimate
The setup guide estimates about $12 per month for the service, primarily for a virtual machine connected to the internet, and says domain registration is about $17 per year depending on the TLD.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Cost to operate
The setup guide estimates running a box will cost about $12 per month, mostly for a cloud machine connected to the internet.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Deliverability
The project warns that other mail services may block or spam-filter mail sent from a self-run Mail-in-a-Box server.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
DNS and TLS
It can configure mail-related DNS records including SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and MTA-STS, and automatically provisions TLS certificates from Let’s Encrypt.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Email tools
It provides webmail and an IMAP/SMTP server for mobile devices and desktop mail software.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Hosting
A box can host mail for multiple users and domains, and can also host a simple static website.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Hosting requirements
It requires a fresh, dedicated Ubuntu 22.04 x64 machine; containers and modified images are not supported.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
License and intended users
Mail-in-a-Box is dedicated to the public domain under CC0 and describes its goal as making it easy to deploy a mail server for people who want to control their own email.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Limit
The project describes itself as a simple turn-key solution with basically no configuration options, and says the machine’s configuration files cannot be tweaked after installation.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Mail and calendars
It includes webmail, IMAP/SMTP, contacts, and calendar synchronization.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Notable limitation
The project aims for a turn-key setup with basically no configuration options, and configuration files cannot be tweaked after installation.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Project history
Joshua Tauberer began the project in 2013 and is its primary maintainer.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Purpose
Mail-in-a-Box turns a fresh cloud computer into a mail server that lets users run their own email service.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026
Requirements
The setup guide requires a fresh Ubuntu 22.04 x64 server and at least 512 MB of RAM; it says containers and modified images are not supported.mailinabox.email · read 11 Oct 2026

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