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I've been thinking about dumping Gmail for a few days now. What are good web-based alternatives, with an even better interface, that I can run locally and have

I've been thinking about dumping Gmail for a few days now. What are good web-based alternatives, with an even better interface, that I can run locally and have it connect to a server on Heroku or something like that? I feel like I have relied on Google's software for so long, as a no-brainer, I don't even know what other good web mail clients there are, and I'd think there must be something great and open source out there.

pyre 14y ago
Roundcube, and SquirrelMail are the two alternatives I can think of. Last time I tried Roundcube was years ago, so I don't know what the state of it is now, but it was an attempt at a more Gmail-ish interface.
- goldfeld 14y ago
  Wow, are those really the state of art? I can already feel my inner hacker wanting to do a Node based alternative.
  - pyre 14y ago
    1. I don't think that Node.js specifically is the answer. 2. Most of the alternatives are just web-based front-ends to IMAP. My feeling is that to make a 'true' OSS Gmail alternative would require an integrated solution (i.e. an 'email system' with SMTP, IMAP, Web interfaces). 3. I think that the 'state of the art' has languished because everyone has doubled-down on Gmail, and the (now defunct) free-tier of Google Apps for Domains.
    - goldfeld 14y ago
      Yes, I've since let go of the thought of leaving Gmail. Pretty fun read too http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/07/1533224/ask-slashdot-self-hosted-gmail-alternatives http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/07/1533224/ask-slashdot-... "The thing is, unlike a lot of other parts of life, mail hosting is basically a sewer of pain."
      - pyre 14y ago
        "Leaving GMail" != "Hosting your own Email" You could easily just use another email provider that will take care of the "sewer of pain" while you use a web-based IMAP front-end (or develop your own).
  - betterunix 14y ago
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbra
svachalek 14y ago
E-mail is just a terrible mess of insecurity and spam no matter how you look at it. Rather than worrying about my e-mail provider I've been focused on eliminating e-mail from my life as much as I can. (I'll admit it's not easy and progress is slow.)

pyre 14y ago

Roundcube, and SquirrelMail are the two alternatives I can think of. Last time I tried Roundcube was years ago, so I don't know what the state of it is now, but it was an attempt at a more Gmail-ish interface.

goldfeld 14y ago
Wow, are those really the state of art? I can already feel my inner hacker wanting to do a Node based alternative.
- pyre 14y ago
  1. I don't think that Node.js specifically is the answer. 2. Most of the alternatives are just web-based front-ends to IMAP. My feeling is that to make a 'true' OSS Gmail alternative would require an integrated solution (i.e. an 'email system' with SMTP, IMAP, Web interfaces). 3. I think that the 'state of the art' has languished because everyone has doubled-down on Gmail, and the (now defunct) free-tier of Google Apps for Domains.
  - goldfeld 14y ago
    Yes, I've since let go of the thought of leaving Gmail. Pretty fun read too http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/07/1533224/ask-slashdot-self-hosted-gmail-alternatives http://ask.slashdot.org/story/11/08/07/1533224/ask-slashdot-... "The thing is, unlike a lot of other parts of life, mail hosting is basically a sewer of pain."
    - pyre 14y ago
      "Leaving GMail" != "Hosting your own Email" You could easily just use another email provider that will take care of the "sewer of pain" while you use a web-based IMAP front-end (or develop your own).
- betterunix 14y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbra https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zimbra

svachalek 14y ago

E-mail is just a terrible mess of insecurity and spam no matter how you look at it. Rather than worrying about my e-mail provider I've been focused on eliminating e-mail from my life as much as I can. (I'll admit it's not easy and progress is slow.)