Dovecot vs Synology MailPlus Server

Dovecot9.0Visit SMSynology MailPlus Server8.6Visit

Higher score Dovecot #3 in Email Server Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Dovecot

vs

SM Synology MailPlus Server #6 in Email Server Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Synology

• Dovecot fits best

  Operators needing a mature IMAP/POP mailbox server

• Synology MailPlus Server fits best

  Synology NAS users hosting organizational email

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Dovecot 9.0/10 Visit ↗	SMSynology MailPlus Server 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.6
Ranking	#3 in Email Server Software	#6 in Email Server Software
Best for	Operators needing a mature IMAP/POP mailbox server	Synology NAS users hosting organizational email
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Linux	Web, iOS, Android
Integrations	3 integrations	7 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Dovecot 0/4 · Synology MailPlus Server 4/4
Mail transfer agent	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Mailbox server	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Integrated mail server	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Directory integration	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Deployment	Not checked yet	Self-hosted
Email protocols	Not checked yet	SMTP, IMAP, POP3
Our review
Pros	Supports IMAP, POP3, LMTP, and ManageSieve protocols Adds indexing, caching, Sieve filtering, and full-text search Includes migration tools and integrations with Postfix, Exim, and OpenSMTPD	Supports SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 for mail-client access Migration from Microsoft Exchange and Google Workspace Directory integration, policy controls, filtering, and clustering
Cons	Community Edition is designed for single-server deployments Requires self-hosted deployment on Linux or UNIX-like systems Not a complete mail suite; larger deployments may need commercial Dovecot Pro	Requires compatible Synology NAS hardware and self-hosted administration Only five email-account licenses are included with compatible NAS hardware License packs add cost, and pricing is not published on the official page
Our verdict	Dovecot is an open-source mailbox server for operators who need IMAP and POP3 access on Linux and UNIX-like systems. Its Community Edition is designed for single-server deployments, while its protocol support also includes LMTP and… Read the review →	Synology MailPlus Server turns compatible Synology NAS hardware into a self-hosted organizational email system. It suits small, mid-market, and enterprise teams that want to host custom or multiple domains and administer mail on their own… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Dovecot — where it wins

  • Supports IMAP, POP3, LMTP, and ManageSieve protocols
  • Adds indexing, caching, Sieve filtering, and full-text search
  • Includes migration tools and integrations with Postfix, Exim, and OpenSMTPD

  Where it doesn't

  • Community Edition is designed for single-server deployments
  • Requires self-hosted deployment on Linux or UNIX-like systems
  • Not a complete mail suite; larger deployments may need commercial Dovecot Pro

• Synology MailPlus Server — where it wins

  • Supports SMTP, IMAP, and POP3 for mail-client access
  • Migration from Microsoft Exchange and Google Workspace
  • Directory integration, policy controls, filtering, and clustering

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires compatible Synology NAS hardware and self-hosted administration
  • Only five email-account licenses are included with compatible NAS hardware
  • License packs add cost, and pricing is not published on the official page

• Dovecot9.0/10 · Free plan

  A focused, self-hosted mailbox server with filtering, search, and migration tools.

  Visit DovecotFull verdict →
• SMSynology MailPlus Server8.6/10 · Free plan

  A full-featured mail server for organizations already running compatible Synology NAS hardware.

  Visit SynologyFull verdict →