aerc vs RainLoop
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
aerc
Efficient terminal-based email client
VS
RainLoop
Simple, modern and fast web-based email client
| Feature | aerc | RainLoop |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,300 | ★ 4,120 |
| First released | 2019 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook | Gmail, Outlook Web |
Why pick each one
Choose aerc if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (3.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose RainLoop if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is aerc or RainLoop better?
RainLoop is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider aerc if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are aerc and RainLoop free and open-source?
Yes. aerc is licensed under MIT and RainLoop under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run aerc and RainLoop with Docker?
aerc: check the project docs for container support. RainLoop: yes.