Courier Mail Server vs MailHog
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?
Courier Mail Server
Integrated mail server with IMAP, POP, and webmail
VS
MailHog
Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server
| Feature | Courier Mail Server | MailHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13 | ★ 16,107 |
| First released | 2000 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Choose Courier Mail Server if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose MailHog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Courier Mail Server or MailHog better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Courier Mail Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Courier Mail Server and MailHog free and open-source?
Yes. Courier Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MailHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Courier Mail Server and MailHog with Docker?
Courier Mail Server: check the project docs for container support. MailHog: yes.