Modoboa: A Complete Mail Hosting Platform for Admins Who Want the Whole Stack
Modoboa isn’t just a webmail client — it’s a full mail hosting platform. Mail server, admin panel, webmail, spam filtering, user management — all in one system, installed with a single script. For teams that want total control over email without stitching together Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, Amavis, and a calendar app manually — Modoboa makes it doable.
It’s open source, modular, and designed to be admin-first. If you’ve got your own server and a domain, it’ll build you a secure, multi-user mail system from scratch — with TLS, DKIM, and Let’s Encrypt included.
Key Features and Tools
| Component | What It Provides |
| Postfix + Dovecot | Full SMTP and IMAP stack with TLS and virtual domains |
| Web-based admin panel | User, domain, alias, and quota management |
| Roundcube integration | Built-in webmail client for all users |
| Rspamd | Modern spam filtering with DKIM, SPF, DMARC support |
| Amavis + ClamAV | Optional antivirus and content filtering |
| Auto TLS via Let’s Encrypt | Automated HTTPS and mail encryption certificates |
| DNS check utility | Ensures all required records are configured properly |
| Calendar and contacts | CalDAV and CardDAV via Radicale integration |
| Multi-domain support | Host multiple domains with individual settings |
Who’s Using Modoboa
– Freelancers and consultants hosting domains for clients
– Organizations moving away from Google Workspace or Microsoft 365
– Admins building in-house email for internal teams or testing
– Privacy-focused users wanting control over everything — including DNS and encryption
– Schools and labs running multiple accounts on a single VPS
System Requirements
| Requirement | Details |
| OS | Ubuntu (20.04 or 22.04 LTS), Debian 11 |
| RAM | 2+ GB for small setups; 4+ GB recommended |
| Disk | SSD preferred; minimum 20 GB for mail and logs |
| IP | Static IPv4 (public) |
| Domain control | Full DNS access required |
Installation (Full Setup via Installer)
# Clone installer repo
git clone https://github.com/modoboa/modoboa-installer
cd modoboa-installer
# Create config for your domain
sudo ./run.py –interactive example.com
This installs everything: Postfix, Dovecot, Modoboa panel, webmail, spam filter, and TLS certificates.
After setup:
– Web admin: https://mail.example.com
– Login as admin to add domains, users, quotas, etc.
What Admins Say
“We used to spend hours configuring Postfix manually. Modoboa saved us days.”
“Spam filtering was solid out of the box, and the admin panel is surprisingly polished.”
“It’s not for huge scale, but for running mail across a few domains — it’s perfect.”
Considerations Before Deploying
You’ll need a fresh server — Modoboa configures services top-to-bottom
Works best if the domain is dedicated to email (not shared with heavy web apps)
Some manual DNS edits will still be needed for SPF, DKIM, MX, etc.
If you want to self-host email and manage it like an actual admin — without cobbling together six different tools — Modoboa gets you there fast.
