Dovecot (software)

Dovecot
Original author(s)Timo Sirainen
Developer(s)Timo Sirainen and contributors
Initial releaseJuly 2002; 22 years ago (2002-07)
Stable release
2.3.21.1[1] Edit this on Wikidata / 14 August 2024; 2 months ago (14 August 2024)
Repository
Written inC
Operating systemUnix-like
TypeIMAP and POP3 server
LicenseMostly MIT and LGPLv2[2]
Websitewww.dovecot.org Edit this on Wikidata

Dovecot is an open-source IMAP and POP3 server for Unix-like operating systems, written primarily with security in mind.[3] Timo Sirainen originated Dovecot and first released it in July 2002. Dovecot developers primarily aim to produce a lightweight, fast and easy-to-set-up open-source email server.

The primary purpose of Dovecot is to act as a mail storage server. The mail is delivered to the server using some mail delivery agent (MDA) and is stored for later access with an email client (mail user agent, or MUA). Dovecot can also act as mail proxy server, forwarding connection to another mail server, or act as a lightweight MUA in order to retrieve and manipulate mail on remote server for e.g. mail migration.

According to the Open Email Survey, as of 2020, Dovecot has an installed base of at least 2.9 million IMAP servers, and has a global market share of 76.9% of all IMAP servers. The results of the same survey in 2019 gave figures of 2.6 million and 76.2%, respectively.[4]

  1. ^ "Release v2.3.21.1". 14 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  2. ^ "COPYING.LGPL file in dovecot repository". Retrieved 2017-10-04.
  3. ^ "Dovecot website". Retrieved 2017-01-18.
  4. ^ Sirainen, Timo (2019-03-01). "Dovecot's global market share grows to 76%". Open-Xchange. Archived from the original on 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2020-03-05.