listmonk vs Fetchmail
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
Fetchmail
Remote mail retrieval and forwarding utility
| Feature | listmonk | Fetchmail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,670 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2020 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, Sendinblue | Gmail import |
Why pick each one
Choose Fetchmail if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is listmonk or Fetchmail better?
listmonk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Fetchmail if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are listmonk and Fetchmail free and open-source?
Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Fetchmail under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run listmonk and Fetchmail with Docker?
listmonk: yes. Fetchmail: check the project docs for container support.