iRedMail vs listmonk
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?
iRedMail
Free, full-featured mail server solution
VS
listmonk
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager
| Feature | iRedMail | listmonk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,835 | ★ 22,670 |
| First released | 2007 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Mailchimp, Sendinblue |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is iRedMail or listmonk better?
listmonk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider iRedMail if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are iRedMail and listmonk free and open-source?
Yes. iRedMail is licensed under GPL-3.0 and listmonk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iRedMail and listmonk with Docker?
iRedMail: check the project docs for container support. listmonk: yes.