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Amavis

Email Security

Open Source
Free Tier
E
Enterprise
Self-hosted
OpenMSP Score
50
30
Reddit Impact Score
Github Score
1
1Stars
2Forks
2Commits
GNU General Public License v2.0License
Feb 12, 2015Last commit
Amavis is an open-source content filter for email that integrates with mail transfer agents. It provides virus scanning, spam detection, and content filtering with support for various anti-virus engines and spam detection tools.
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Key Features

High-performance interface between mailer and content checkers

Optimized interface between Mail Transfer Agent and content analysis tools including spam and antivirus scanners, with high-throughput processing capabilities.

Policy-based message processing

Flexible policy engine processes messages based on sender, recipient, content, and other criteria, enabling complex filtering rules and compliance requirements.

Antivirus engine integration

Seamless integration with multiple antivirus engines for comprehensive malware detection with automatic signature updates and health monitoring.

Spam scoring and filtering

Advanced spam detection using multiple techniques including statistical analysis, pattern matching, and real-time blacklist checking.

Quarantine and notification system

Automated quarantine of suspicious messages with configurable notification policies for administrators and end-users.

Performance optimization

Optimized for high-volume email processing with connection pooling, process management, and efficient resource utilization.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Content filter framework

Flexible framework for content filtering

Multiple scanner integration

Can use multiple virus scanners simultaneously

MTA integration

Seamless integration with major MTAs like Postfix

Open source

Free and open source with community support

SpamAssassin integration

Works well with SpamAssassin for spam filtering

Cons

Complex configuration

Configuration can be complex and daunting

Resource intensive

Can be resource-heavy with multiple scanners

Limited GUI

No native graphical interface

Maintenance overhead

Requires regular maintenance and updates

Feature Comparison

Comments

Armina RustamiSecureFlow Hub

Armina RustamiSecureFlow Hub

Jun 22, 2025

Solid email filtering for MSP clients

We use Amavis for several small business clients who need reliable email security without enterprise costs. Setup takes some Linux knowledge but works well once configured. Spam filtering is effective and virus scanning integrates nicely with ClamAV. Not fancy but gets the job done.

Alina DimitrovaDataGuard Central

Alina DimitrovaDataGuard Central

Jun 19, 2025

Good performance but requires tuning

Deployed Amavis for multiple client mail servers. Performance is solid under load and the logging is detailed for troubleshooting. Configuration can be complex and documentation could be better. Works well as part of a complete mail security stack for cost-conscious clients.