listmonk vs msmtp
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
msmtp
Lightweight SMTP client for sending mail
| Feature | listmonk | msmtp |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 22,670 | ★ 290 |
| First released | 2020 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, Sendinblue | Sendmail |
Why pick each one
Choose msmtp if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is listmonk or msmtp better?
Neither is universally better. listmonk has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are listmonk and msmtp free and open-source?
Yes. listmonk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and msmtp under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run listmonk and msmtp with Docker?
listmonk: yes. msmtp: check the project docs for container support.