listmonk vs Postfix

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?
FeaturelistmonkPostfix
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0IPL-1.0
LanguageGoC
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM512 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcedocker, bare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 22,670★ 563
First released20201998
ReplacesMailchimp, SendinblueMicrosoft Exchange

Why pick each one

Choose listmonk if…

  • Fast and scalable
  • Modern admin UI
listmonk details

Choose Postfix if…

  • Battle-tested and stable
  • Extensive documentation
Postfix details

Frequently asked questions

Is listmonk or Postfix better?

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

Are listmonk and Postfix free and open-source?

Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Postfix under IPL-1.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run listmonk and Postfix with Docker?

listmonk: yes. Postfix: yes.

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