Learn how Macro Mail and Roundcube differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these email clients is best for you.
Last 30 days
Last commit
6 hours agoRepository age
1 yearVersion
v2026.11.12.0License
AGPL-3.0Repository
macro-inc/macro
Last 30 days
Last commit
4 days agoRepository age
15 yearsVersion
1.7.6License
GPL-3.0Self-hosted
YesRepository
roundcubemail
Both Macro Mail and Roundcube have their unique strengths and serve similar purposes effectively. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.
Both tools have similar popularity levels, with Macro Mail having 6,333 stars and Roundcube having 7,279 stars on GitHub. In terms of developer contributions, Roundcube has 1,812 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.
Macro Mail is growing faster, adding 1,632 stars in the last 30 days (+35%) against adding 53 stars for Roundcube (+0.7%). Macro Mail is the smaller project of the two, so it is closing the gap rather than extending a lead.
Both projects show recent activity, with Macro Mail last updated 6 hours ago and Roundcube 4 days ago.
Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Python, C. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Macro Mail uses Typescript, JSX, Rust, Objective-C, Swift, Kotlin, Tauri while Roundcube leverages PHP, Perl.
Roundcube has been in development longer, starting 15 years ago, compared to Macro Mail which began 1 year ago. This 13.7-year head start suggests Roundcube may have more mature features and established processes.
The projects use different licenses: Macro Mail is licensed under AGPL-3.0 while Roundcube uses GPL-3.0. Consider the licensing requirements when choosing for your project.
Both tools serve similar use cases in Email Clients. However, they also have distinct specializations: Macro Mail also focuses on AI Personal Assistants.
Roundcube provides self-hosting options for complete data control and customization, while Macro Mail may be primarily cloud-based or require different deployment approaches.