Chatmail vs Mailpit
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?
Chatmail
Minimal, instant-onboarding mail server for Delta Chat
VS
Mailpit
Email and SMTP testing tool with web UI
| Feature | Chatmail | Mailpit |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 476 | ★ 10,067 |
| First released | 2023 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mailtrap, MailHog |
Why pick each one
Choose Chatmail if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatmail or Mailpit better?
Mailpit is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Chatmail if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Chatmail and Mailpit free and open-source?
Yes. Chatmail is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Mailpit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatmail and Mailpit with Docker?
Chatmail: yes. Mailpit: yes.