Hermes Secure Email Gateway vs Xeams
Hermes Secure Email Gateway
hermesseg.ioXeams
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| Figure | Hermes Secure Email Gateway | Xeams |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $62.50/mo | $1.67/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 3 | 8 |
| Spec score · Email Security Gateways | 9.0 (#1) | 8.6 (#3) |
| Deployment modes | It supports gateway deployment ahead of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Exchange or Postfix, full mail-server deployment, and mixed gateway/mail-server deployments. | The product can run as a standalone server, a firewall in front of another mail server, or in hybrid configurations. |
| Encryption | Hermes supports SMTP TLS, S/MIME, PGP, encrypted-PDF fallback and Dovecot mail-crypt encryption at rest. | Outbound end-to-end encryption works with recipients on any domain, including when the sender uses Microsoft or Google cloud mail. |
| Filtering | Inbound mail passes through Postfix postscreen and RBL checks, then Amavisd-new orchestrates SpamAssassin and ClamAV scanning. | Xeams provides spam, virus, phishing, URL and outbound-message filtering. |
| Integrations | Published integration targets include Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Exchange, Postfix, Nextcloud, LDAP and Active Directory. | Xeams describes Active Directory integration and outbound email relaying with OAuth 2.0 for services such as Microsoft Exchange Online or Google Workspace. |
| Licence | The Community Edition is licensed under GNU AGPLv3; proprietary Pro files are governed by a commercial EULA. | Xeams is proprietary freeware/shareware; the Community Edition is non-commercial and the Enterprise Edition is subscription licensed. |
| Product | Hermes is a self-hosted Docker Compose stack combining email security, mail hosting, end-to-end encryption, and Nextcloud collaboration. | Xeams is an email server and spam firewall that can run standalone, in front of another mail server, or in hybrid mode. |
| Spam filtering | Inbound mail is checked with Postfix postscreen, reputation block lists, configurable allow/block lists and Apache SpamAssassin. | Its filtering uses sender reputation, SPF/DKIM/DMARC checks, attachment and content rules, Bayesian analysis, and virus checks. |
| Support | Community support is informal through GitHub forums, the issue tracker, Matrix, and Telegram; direct vendor support requires eligible Pro support coverage or purchased incidents. | Support includes telephone, email, and public forums; phone and email support for the Community Edition is listed at $300/year. |
| System requirements | The Docker edition requires Linux capable of running Docker Engine 24.0+ and Compose v2, with at least 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM and 275 GB storage. | The current requirements list Windows 10 or newer, Windows Server 2012 or newer, any Linux distribution, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, macOS or BSD, with 1 GB RAM minimum and 100 MB installation space. |
| What it does | Hermes is a self-hosted Docker Compose email-security gateway and full mail server that can also run in hybrid mode. | Xeams is an email server and spam-filtering gateway supporting SMTP, POP3 and IMAP. |
Plans
Hermes Secure Email Gateway
- Community EditionFree
- Community EditionFree
- Pro Edition$750 a year
Xeams
- Community EditionFree
- Community EditionFree
- Enterprise Edition, 1–9 users, annual$1.67 a month
- Enterprise Edition, 1–9 users, monthly$1.92 a month
- Enterprise Edition with Support$300 a year
- Enterprise Edition with Support$300 a year
- Enterprise EditionPrice not published
- Enterprise EditionPrice not published
In their own words
Hermes Secure Email Gateway
Hermes Secure Email Gateway is a self-hosted Docker Compose stack for email security, mail hosting, encryption, and collaboration. It can sit in front of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Exchange, or Postfix, run as a full mail server, or combine those roles in a hybrid setup. Incoming mail passes through Postfix postscreen and RBL checks, followed by scanning orchestrated by Amavisd-new with SpamAssassin and ClamAV. Hermes checks SPF, signs and verifies DKIM, enforces and aggregates DMARC, and signs and verifies ARC. Encryption options include SMTP TLS, S/MIME, PGP, encrypted PDF fallback, and Dovecot mail-crypt at rest. Full-server mode adds Dovecot mailboxes, IMAPS, POP3S, Submission, LMTP, quotas, shared mailboxes, and Sieve rules. Bundled Nextcloud supplies file sync, webmail, calendars, and contacts; Authelia provides single sign-on and multi-factor options. The free Community Edition is open source. Pro costs $750.00 per year per server and has a free 30-day trial. Hermes requires a Linux host with Docker Engine 24.0 or later and Docker Compose v2.
Xeams
Xeams is an email server and spam firewall that can run standalone, sit in front of another mail server, or operate in hybrid mode. It supports SMTP, POP3, and IMAP, alongside email technologies including DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and MTA-STS. Filtering uses sender reputation, authentication checks, attachment and content rules, Bayesian analysis, and virus checks. Administrators use a web interface for live monitoring, logs, reports, retention settings, and tiered administration. Quarantined messages are kept on the server for 15 days by default and can be reached through the web interface or an IMAP client. Integrations include Active Directory and OAuth 2.0 outbound relaying for services such as Microsoft Exchange Online or Google Workspace. Outbound tools include DKIM signing, REST APIs, webhooks, campaigns, read receipts, and header sanitization. A new installation has Enterprise features for 30 days before converting to Community Edition unless licensed. Community Edition is free for up to 5 personal hobby users when spam filtering is used; its spam filtering is otherwise limited to 5 users. Enterprise Edition with Support is $300 a year per deployed instance; Enterprise per-user prices vary by tier.