The Most Popular Mail Server, Ranked
Voting rules: Choose the mail server you think is the most popular!
Updated on May 2, 2024 06:42
Choosing the right mail server is crucial for efficient communication in business and personal contexts alike. With a myriad of options available, it can be a challenge to figure out which server meets specific needs for reliability, security, and features. Having a community-driven ranking helps clarify these choices by highlighting the most favored options based on user experience and satisfaction.
This site allows you to contribute to the live rankings by casting your vote for the mail server that has worked best for you. By participating, you not only inform others about your preferences but also get to see how others have voted, reflecting current trends and popular choices in the world of email servers. Together, these rankings provide a dynamic, user-generated guide to selecting a mail server.
What Is the Most Popular Mail Server?
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154votes
Microsoft Exchange Server
MicrosoftA comprehensive email platform that offers features such as email, calendaring, contacts, and tasks. It is widely used in corporate environments and offers integration with other Microsoft products.Microsoft Exchange Server is a mail server software developed by Microsoft. It provides email, contacts, calendar, and other collaboration features to users. It is widely used by organizations of all sizes for managing their email systems and facilitating communication within the organization.- Version: Latest version: Exchange Server 2019
- Platform: Windows Server
- Protocols: Exchange ActiveSync, IMAP, POP, MAPI, Outlook Web Access (OWA)
- Integration: Tightly integrated with other Microsoft products like Outlook, SharePoint, and Active Directory
- Collaboration: Shared calendars, contacts, tasks, and notes
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226votesA free email service provided by Google that offers a user-friendly interface, powerful spam filtering, and integration with other Google services such as Google Drive and Google Calendar.Gmail is a free email service developed by Google. It provides users with a simplified and efficient way to send, receive, and manage emails. The platform offers a variety of features and innovations to enhance productivity and organization.
- Storage Capacity: 15 GB
- Attachment Limit: 25 MB
- Search Functionality: Powerful search options with advanced filters
- Spam Filtering: Effective spam detection and filtering
- Integration: Seamless integration with other Google services
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319votesA widely-used mail transfer agent (MTA) that is known for its speed, security, and scalability. It can handle large volumes of email and offers a range of security features.Postfix is a popular open source mail transfer agent (MTA) that efficiently routes and delivers email messages. It was created by Wietse Venema and maintains a strong focus on security, extensibility, and performance.
- SMTP Support: Postfix fully supports the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), a standard protocol for email transmission.
- Reliability: It ensures reliable mail delivery by implementing features like queue management and retrying failed deliveries.
- Security: Postfix prioritizes security by incorporating features like strong encryption, address verification, and support for various authentication mechanisms.
- Extensibility: It offers a modular design, making it easy to extend functionality through plugins and customizations.
- Anti-Spam Measures: Postfix includes built-in support for spam detection and prevention through techniques like header and body checks, DNS-based Blackhole List (DNSBL) integration, and greylisting.
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413votesAnother popular MTA that has been around since the early days of the internet. It is known for its flexibility and customizability, but can be more difficult to configure than other mail servers.Sendmail is a widely used mail transfer agent (MTA) that allows sending and receiving email messages. It provides a robust and flexible solution for handling email with a focus on reliability and security.
- Initial release: 1979
- Latest stable version: 8.17.0
- Operating systems: Unix-like, Linux, macOS, Windows
- Programming language: C
- Internet standards support: SMTP, ESMTP, MIME, POP3, IMAP4
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514votesA modern, web-based email platform that offers email, calendar, contacts, and file sharing. It is popular with small and medium-sized businesses due to its ease of use and affordability.Zimbra is a popular mail server that provides email, contacts, calendar, tasks, and collaboration features. It offers a full-featured web client, as well as support for popular desktop clients and mobile devices. Zimbra is known for its ease of use, flexibility, and rich set of communication and collaboration capabilities.
- Open Source Foundation: Zimbra was originally developed as an open-source project.
- Cross-platform Compatibility: Zimbra works on various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- Web-based Administration: Zimbra provides a web-based administration console to manage user accounts, domains, and server settings.
- Security Features: Zimbra includes features like SSL encryption, strong authentication, and spam/virus filtering.
- Collaboration Tools: Zimbra offers shared calendars, document sharing, instant messaging, and integration with third-party tools.
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610votesA flexible and customizable MTA that is widely used on Unix-based systems. It offers a range of security features and can handle large volumes of email.Exim is a popular mail server software that provides a flexible and reliable email delivery solution. It is known for its scalability, security, and ease of configuration. Exim has gained popularity due to its extensive features and adaptability to various mail server setups.
- Flexible Configuration: Exim allows users to configure the mail server based on their specific requirements easily.
- High Scalability: Exim can handle large email volumes efficiently, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
- Advanced Routing Options: Exim supports complex routing configurations, including virtual domains and address rewriting.
- Security Features: Exim offers multiple security features, such as DNSBL support, SMTP authentication, SSL/TLS encryption, and spam filtering.
- Compatibility: Exim is compatible with various operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows.
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710votes
Yahoo! Mail · Public domainYahoo! Mail
Yahoo! Inc.A free email service that offers a user-friendly interface, powerful spam filtering, and integration with other Yahoo! services such as Yahoo! News and Yahoo! Finance.Yahoo! Mail is an email service provider that allows users to send, receive, and manage their emails. It offers a user-friendly interface, multiple features, and ample storage space.- Launch Date: 1997
- User Base: 225 million active users (as of October 2020)
- Storage Capacity: 1 TB (1000 GB) per user
- Attachment Limit: 25 MB
- Spam Protection: Integrated spam filters and customizable settings
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811votesA lightweight and easy-to-use mail server that is popular with small businesses and individuals. It offers a range of features such as email, calendaring, and contacts.Courier is a popular mail server that is known for its flexibility, scalability, and security features. It is widely used by organizations and individuals to handle their email communications.
- IMAP and POP3 support: Yes
- SMTP and LMTP support: Yes
- Support for virtual domains: Yes
- Support for multiple authentication methods: Yes
- Integration with various external authentication systems: Yes
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96votesA fast and scalable IMAP and POP3 server that is known for its security features and ease of use. It is widely used on Unix-based systems.Dovecot is a popular open-source mail server software that provides secure and scalable email services. It is designed primarily for use with the IMAP and POP3 protocols.
- Protocol Support: IMAP, POP3, LMTP
- SSL/TLS Encryption: Yes
- Mailbox Format: Maildir, mbox
- Authentication Support: Plain, CRAM-MD5, SCRAM-SHA-256, OAuth 2.0
- Virtual Mailbox Support: Yes
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103votes
IBM Notes
IBMA comprehensive email and collaboration platform that offers email, calendaring, contacts, and file sharing. It is popular in corporate environments and offers integration with other IBM products.IBM Notes, formerly known as Lotus Notes, is a collaborative business application platform that includes email, calendar, contact management, and workflow management capabilities. It allows users to efficiently manage communication and collaboration within organizations.- Operating System: Windows, macOS, Linux
- Email: support for POP, IMAP, SMTP protocols
- Collaboration: team-based document sharing, instant messaging, discussion forums
- Calendar: scheduling, meeting invitations, resource management
- Contact Management: address book, contact sharing
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Ranking factors for popular mail server
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Market ShareA higher market share implies that the mail server is more popular among users, which could suggest better performance, reliability, and features.
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ReliabilityA reliable mail server should have minimal downtime and be capable of handling high volumes of email traffic. This ensures that your emails are always delivered on time.
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SecurityA secure mail server should offer robust protection against spam, viruses, and other malicious email threats. It should also support secure protocols like SSL/TLS to encrypt email communications.
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ScalabilityA good mail server should be able to handle the growing needs of an organization, whether it's more email accounts, storage, or processing power.
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FeaturesThe mail server should offer a comprehensive set of features to meet the diverse requirements of different users. This includes support for various email protocols (IMAP, POP3, SMTP), webmail access, integration with third-party applications, and useful collaboration tools.
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Ease of useA user-friendly mail server will have an intuitive interface, making it easy for administrators to manage the system and for users to access their email accounts.
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CompatibilityThe mail server should be compatible with various email clients, operating systems, and devices. This ensures that users can access their emails from anywhere and on any device.
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CostThe overall cost of running and maintaining a mail server, including licensing, hardware, maintenance, and support, should be taken into account when comparing different products.
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Support and documentationA mail server with a strong support community and comprehensive documentation will be easier to troubleshoot and manage in the long run.
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Reviews and testimonialsUser reviews and testimonials can provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of different mail servers, as well as their overall popularity and performance.
About this ranking
This is a community-based ranking of the most popular mail server. We do our best to provide fair voting, but it is not intended to be exhaustive. So if you notice something or server is missing, feel free to help improve the ranking!
Statistics
- 1923 views
- 165 votes
- 10 ranked items
Voting Rules
A participant may cast an up or down vote for each server once every 24 hours. The rank of each server is then calculated from the weighted sum of all up and down votes.
More information on most popular mail server
Background Information on the Most Popular Mail Servers
Mail servers are essential for managing and sending emails. They act as a bridge between your email client and the internet, allowing you to send and receive emails from other email clients. However, with a wide range of mail servers available, it can be challenging to choose the perfect one for your needs.
According to recent studies, the most popular mail servers are Microsoft Exchange, Gmail, and Zimbra. Microsoft Exchange is a popular choice for corporate environments as it offers a robust set of features and seamless integration with other Microsoft products. Gmail, on the other hand, is a popular free email service that offers a user-friendly interface, advanced spam filtering, and easy integration with other Google services. Finally, Zimbra is an open-source email server that provides users with a web-based interface, advanced collaboration features, and support for mobile devices.
While each mail server has its own unique features, the choice ultimately comes down to your specific needs and preferences. Whether you're looking for a corporate email solution or a free email service, the most popular mail servers are sure to offer the features and functionality you need to manage your emails efficiently.
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