Mac mini as an email server

I'm successfully running a mail server using a Mac mini. I used to use macOS Server, but as lllaass mentioned most of the actual "server" functionality of that has been removed.

I'm currently using (and can recommend) MailServe from Cutedge Systems. It incorporates the same mail software that macOS server did (postfix, dovecot), so works well as a direct replacement. The price is very reasonable, and their support is great. It supports both POP and IMAP.

http://www.cutedgesystems.com

Running your own mail server is still viable, and not at all difficult, on a Mac.

Have you even priced out using a commercial hosting service (Ionos, GoDaddy, etc) with your own domain, or Amazon Web Services? Or even MS Office for business with your own domain? The prices may not be as bad as you think, and you don’t have to then worry about backups for your massive email database, nor hardware outages or replacement.

P.S. Apple’s limitations on iCloud are actually specifically intended to keep it from being used, at least effectively, as a business email service - https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202305. So you’re right, you never want to even try doing that.

MacOS server has been an add on to the regular macOS version for the last couple of years.

In the current version of macOS server Apple dropped many services like mail and calendar. Apple has listed alternates. See:

Prepare for changes to macOS Server 5.7.1 - Apple Support

For in also see:

https://blog.macsales.com/41090-mastering-macos-server-part-5-mail-and-calendar-services

https://blog.macsales.com/43626-macos-server-will-lose-many-services-this-spring-here-are-alternatives

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/are-you-running-macos-mail-server.2029340/

If you are facing problem in mac mini server, I'll consider to read following article for best use of mac mini server

https://blog.macstadium.com/blog/ways-to-use-your-mac-server

Or if you want change mail server from Mac mini to other mail server providers, then i recommend to you some best email server provider companies.

www.go4hosting.com

www.cloudoye.com

I hear you - and hosting companies need to understand you own the domain and the data, and can move it to whomever you wish! They need to either step up or step aside as you move on.

But I do think even for very small companies, there are good cloud/online/hosting options available, and running your own physical mail server is just not a good idea anymore.

Glad things are worked out!

At my previous job I was (and they still are) running Kerio Connect on a Mac mini with an external Promise Thunderbolt RAID.