Websites using RoundCube

Okay, let s break down Roundcube, covering its overview, revenue (or lack thereof), alternatives, pricing, and customer care.

Roundcube: Overview

• What it is: Roundcube is a free and open-source, web-based email client. Think of it as a program like Outlook or Thunderbird, but you access it through a web browser.

• Key Features:

  • User-friendly interface (looks and feels like a desktop email client)
  • Supports multiple languages
  • Address book with groups
  • Rich text/HTML message composing
  • Spell checking
  • Message searching
  • Plugin API for extending functionality
  • IMAP support (most commonly used)
  • SMTP support for sending mail
  • S/MIME support
  • Mobile Friendly interface (called Larry )

• Target Audience: Mainly used by:

  • Web hosting providers: They often bundle Roundcube with their hosting packages, giving their customers a webmail interface.
  • Organizations: Businesses, schools, and other organizations that want to provide a web-based email interface for their users, using their own servers and branding.
  • Individuals: Those who prefer a webmail client with a more desktop-like experience and who may want to self-host it.

• Architecture: Written in PHP and uses MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite for data storage.

Revenue

• Roundcube is Free and Open Source: This is a crucial point. Roundcube itself does not generate direct revenue. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). This means:

  • It s free to download, use, and modify.
  • You can distribute it.
  • You must provide the source code if you distribute a modified version.

• How Development is Supported:

  • Donations: The Roundcube project relies on donations from users, organizations, and companies. This is their primary source of funding.
  • Sponsorships: Companies can sponsor the development of specific features or improvements.
  • Commercial Support (Indirect): While Roundcube doesn t sell support directly, some third-party companies offer commercial support, consulting, or custom development services for Roundcube. They generate revenue through these services.

Alternatives to Roundcube

Here s a breakdown of alternatives, categorized:

• Other Webmail Clients:

  • SquirrelMail: Another open-source PHP-based webmail client. It s older and generally considered less feature-rich and less modern than Roundcube.
  • RainLoop: A modern, simple, and fast webmail client written in PHP. Often praised for its ease of installation and use.
  • AfterLogic WebMail Pro: A commercial (paid) webmail client that offers a more feature-rich experience, including better support for Exchange and ActiveSync.
  • Mailfence: A privacy-focused encrypted email service that provides webmail access.
  • Horde Webmail: Part of the Horde Project, a comprehensive PHP framework. Horde Webmail is highly customizable.

• Full Email Hosting/Service Providers (Cloud-Based):

  • Gmail: Google s popular webmail service.
  • Outlook.com: Microsoft s webmail service (formerly Hotmail).
  • ProtonMail: A privacy-focused, encrypted email service provider.
  • Zoho Mail: A business-oriented email service with a free plan and paid options.
  • Fastmail: A paid email service known for its reliability, speed, and privacy features.

• Desktop Email Clients (If you want to move away from webmail altogether):

  • Thunderbird: A free and open-source desktop email client from Mozilla.
  • Microsoft Outlook: A paid desktop email client (part of the Microsoft Office suite).
  • Apple Mail: The default email client on macOS.
  • Mailspring: A free (with optional paid subscription) desktop email client with a modern interface.

Pricing

• Roundcube: Free (as in beer) and Open Source (as in freedom). The core software itself has no cost.

• Costs Associated with Using Roundcube: You may incur costs depending on how you use it:

  • Hosting: If you self-host Roundcube, you ll need a web server and hosting account. The cost of hosting varies widely, from a few dollars per month for shared hosting to hundreds or thousands for dedicated servers or cloud infrastructure.
  • Domain Name: You ll likely want a domain name for your email address (e.g., yourname@yourdomain.com). Domain registration costs typically range from $10-$20 per year.
  • SSL Certificate: For secure email communication (HTTPS), you ll need an SSL certificate. Many hosting providers offer free SSL certificates (e.g., Let s Encrypt).
  • Third-Party Plugins/Themes: Some plugins or themes for Roundcube may be commercial (paid).
  • Support/Consulting: If you need professional help with installation, configuration, customization, or troubleshooting, you might hire a consultant or purchase a support package from a third-party provider.

Customer Care Details

• Official Support Channels (Community-Based): Because Roundcube is free and open-source, there s no dedicated, official customer support team in the traditional sense. Support is primarily community-driven:

  • Roundcube Forums: The official Roundcube forums (https://roundcube.net/forums/) are the best place to ask questions, report bugs, and get help from other users and developers.
  • Wiki: The Roundcube Wiki (https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail/wiki) contains documentation, FAQs, and troubleshooting tips.
  • GitHub: For bug reports and feature requests, use the Roundcube GitHub repository: https://github.com/roundcube/roundcubemail

• Third-Party Support:

  • Web Hosting Providers: If you re using Roundcube through a web hosting provider, they may offer some level of support for it. However, their support is usually limited to issues related to their hosting environment.
  • Commercial Support Providers: Several companies offer commercial support, consulting, and custom development services for Roundcube. You ll have to search for these independently.

• Level of Support: Be aware that the level of support you receive from the community will vary. Volunteers answer questions as they have time and expertise. You may need to be patient and provide detailed information when asking for help. If you need guaranteed, fast support, consider a commercial support option.

In summary, Roundcube is a powerful and popular webmail client, especially valuable because it is open-source and free. However, users must be aware that support is mainly community-based, and costs might arise from hosting, domains, and optional commercial services.