listmonk vs Exim
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?
listmonk
Self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager
VS
Exim
Flexible and widely deployed mail transfer agent
| Feature | listmonk | Exim |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,670 | ★ 786 |
| First released | 2020 | 1995 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, Sendinblue | Microsoft Exchange |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is listmonk or Exim better?
listmonk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Exim if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are listmonk and Exim free and open-source?
Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Exim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run listmonk and Exim with Docker?
listmonk: yes. Exim: check the project docs for container support.