listmonk vs meli
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
meli
Terminal email client with a modern interface
| Feature | listmonk | meli |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,670 | ★ 877 |
| First released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, Sendinblue | Mutt, NeoMutt |
Why pick each one
Choose meli if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is listmonk or meli better?
listmonk is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider meli if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are listmonk and meli free and open-source?
Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and meli under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run listmonk and meli with Docker?
listmonk: yes. meli: check the project docs for container support.