Maddy Mail Server vs MailHog
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?
Maddy Mail Server
Composable, all-in-one mail server in Go
VS
MailHog
Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server
| Feature | Maddy Mail Server | MailHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,060 | ★ 16,107 |
| First released | 2019 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Choose MailHog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Maddy Mail Server or MailHog better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Maddy Mail Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Maddy Mail Server and MailHog free and open-source?
Yes. Maddy Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MailHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Maddy Mail Server and MailHog with Docker?
Maddy Mail Server: yes. MailHog: yes.