Feature comparison: GroupServer, Mailman and Google Groups

GroupServer is a list server, or mailing list manager, like GNU Mailman and Google Groups. This comparison describes the similarities and differences between these systems in three key areas:

In addition to Mailman 2 and Google Groups, this comparison refers to Mailman version 3, which is currently in development.

In summary, of the systems compared, only GroupServer and Google Groups provide full integration between the web and email interfaces. Unlike the proprietary Google Groups, however, GroupServer and Mailman 2 are free software. GNU Mailman version 3, which is currently in development, is also free software, and aims to provide a high level of integration between its email and web interfaces.

Free software

Free software provides the freedom to implement, inspect, and even modify the software. This is explained further by the Free Software Foundation and Free Culture Foundation.

Acknowledgements

We thank Kẏra and members of GNU Mailman developers, for help with compiling this comparison.

Feedback

Please let us know your feedback, suggestions and corrections about this comparison.

GNU Mailman version 2

GNU Mailman is the most widely installed open source email mailing list manager. Primarily used via email, Mailman 2 has a web-based admin UI. To view posts in public on the web, you may use a third party archiver such as Pipermail, MonHarc or Mail archive.

This comparison assumes the use of Mailman 2 in conjunction with a web archiver.

GNU Mailman version 3

Mailman 3 is a major upgrade of Mailman that is currently in development. Mailman 3 itself provides the email user interface, and a REST interface for administration. You can build or integrate your own UI to interact with Mailman 3, or use Postorius, a component that is being developed to provide the web-based admin UI. A third component Hyperkitty, is being developed to provide a web interface to posts.

This comparison assumes the use of Mailman 3 in conjunction with Postorious and Hyperkitty, and lists the development goals of those projects.

Google Groups free version

Google Groups is a web-based mailing list manager provided by Google. The free version is ad-supported.

Google Groups for business

Google Groups for business is a version of Google Groups that is part of the paid Google Apps for Business service. The Groups for Business administrator FAQ explains the differences between Google Groups for Business and the free version.

Freedom

  GroupServer GNU Mailman Google Groups
Feature   version 2 version 3 (unreleased) free version for business
Free software βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ—
Code your own enhancements βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ—
Custom deployment βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ—
Virtual domain βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ”
No advertisements βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ”
Scriptable administration βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Server-side logging βœ” βœ” βœ” β€” β€”
Packaged installation βœ— βœ” βœ— β€” β€”

Web user interface

  GroupServer GNU Mailman Google Groups
Feature   version 2 version 3 (unreleased) free version for business
Groups on a dedicated site βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ”
Posts and administration on a single site βœ” βœ— Β½ βœ” βœ”
Post messages and files from the web βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
CSS customisation βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ— βœ—
Editable pages βœ” βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ”
Multi-lingual user interface βœ— ? ? βœ” βœ”
Posts on the web
Search βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Multi-group search βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ— βœ”
Embedded YouTube video βœ” βœ— ? βœ— βœ—
Automatic keywording βœ” βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—
HTML posts βœ— βœ— ? βœ” βœ”
Shareable link to post or topic βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Email address masking βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Unicode support βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Usage statistics βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Configurable timezone βœ” βœ— ? βœ” βœ”
Quoted text hiding βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Files stored online βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Web feeds from posts βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Web feeds from files βœ” βœ— ? βœ— βœ—
Web feeds from searches βœ” βœ— ? βœ— βœ—
Profiles
User post summaries βœ” β€” ? βœ” βœ”
Secure password reset βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
User profiles βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Multiple email addresses βœ” βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
Member contact requests βœ” βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—
Site-side account activity logging Β½ βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—

Email user interface

  GroupServer GNU Mailman Google Groups
Feature   version 2 version 3 (unreleased) free version for business
CSS customisation Β½ βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—
Email footer can contain a link to the post on the web βœ” βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—
Posting rate restriction βœ” βœ— βœ— βœ— βœ—
Email footer customisation βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ—
Email address blocking βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Vacation message loop handling βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Bounce handling βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Digest mode βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Moderation βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Subscription commands βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Monthly subscription reminder βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ— βœ—
HTML email βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Multi-lingual user interface βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ” βœ”
Settings API βœ— βœ— βœ” βœ” βœ”
LMTP βœ— βœ— βœ” β€” β€”