SHSelfHostIndex

Courier Mail Server 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?
CO Courier Mail Server Integrated mail server with IMAP, POP, and webmail VS MA Mailpit Email and SMTP testing tool with web UI
FeatureCourier Mail ServerMailpit
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageCGo
Setup difficultyHardEasy
Min. RAM512 MB64 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker, binary
GitHub stars★ 13★ 10,067
First released20002022
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMailtrap, MailHog

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
Courier Mail Server details

Choose Mailpit if…

  • Very fast and small
  • Great developer UX
Mailpit details

Frequently asked questions

Is Courier Mail Server or Mailpit better?

Mailpit 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 Mailpit free and open-source?

Yes. Courier Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mailpit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Courier Mail Server and Mailpit with Docker?

Courier Mail Server: check the project docs for container support. Mailpit: yes.

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