listmonk vs Mailu

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?
FeaturelistmonkMailu
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageGoPython
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcedocker, kubernetes
GitHub stars★ 22,670★ 7,443
First released20202016
ReplacesMailchimp, SendinblueGoogle Workspace, Microsoft 365

Why pick each one

Choose listmonk if…

  • Fast and scalable
  • Modern admin UI
listmonk details

Choose Mailu if…

  • Lighter than mailcow
  • Kubernetes support
Mailu details

Frequently asked questions

Is listmonk or Mailu better?

listmonk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Mailu if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are listmonk and Mailu free and open-source?

Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Mailu under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run listmonk and Mailu with Docker?

listmonk: yes. Mailu: yes.

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