Keila vs Mailtrain
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?
| Feature | Keila | Mailtrain |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,181 | ★ 5,743 |
| First released | 2021 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, Sendinblue | Mailchimp |
Why pick each one
Choose Keila if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
Choose Mailtrain if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.7k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Keila or Mailtrain better?
Neither is universally better. Mailtrain has the larger community, while Keila is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Keila and Mailtrain free and open-source?
Yes. Keila is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mailtrain under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Keila and Mailtrain with Docker?
Keila: yes. Mailtrain: yes.