Courier Mail Server vs qmail
Courier Mail Server
courier-mta.orgqmail
cr.yp.toSide by side
| Figure | Courier Mail Server | qmail |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Mail Server Software | 8.5 (#1) | 7.8 (#21) |
| Compatibility | Courier can be installed on systems previously running sendmail or Qmail, but the site says it is not a fully compatible replacement for either. | qmail includes a sendmail-compatible wrapper and supports .forward and /etc/aliases through separately available tools. |
| Download | The download page lists Courier 2.0.7, dated 02-Aug-2026, as a source code tarball containing the mail server, IMAP server, webmail server, and maildrop filter. | The maker lists qmail-1.03.tar.gz as the latest published qmail package. |
| Mailing lists | Courier includes a mailing list manager with automatic bounce processing. | qmail supports user-managed mailing lists, VERPs for bounce handling, and automatic loop prevention, including across hosts. |
| Support | The site lists an unmoderated courier-users mailing list for questions, bug reports, and comments, plus a separate read-only announcement list. | The maker directs users to the qmail mailing list and says commercial support is available through qmail.org. |
Plans
In their own words
Courier Mail Server
Courier Mail Server has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.