Mailman vs Postorius
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mailman | Postorius |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 1998 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Google Groups | Google Groups |
What are Mailman and Postorius?
Mailman
GNU Mailman is the long-standing standard for running mailing lists, with version 3 offering a modern web interface and REST API. It handles list subscriptions, moderation, and archiving.
- Mature mailing list management
- Modern Postorius web UI
- HyperKitty list archives
- REST API for automation
Postorius
Postorius is the official Django-based web frontend for administering Mailman 3 mailing lists. It lets list owners and administrators manage subscriptions, settings, and moderation through a browser.
- Mailman 3 admin UI
- Subscription management
- Moderation controls
- Django integration
Mailman vs Postorius: key differences
Both projects are written in Python. Postorius is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Mailman. Mailman is the more established project (first released 1998), while Postorius arrived in 2012. Mailman has the considerably larger community, at 400 GitHub stars versus 200.
Why pick each one
Choose Mailman if…
- Industry-standard list software
- Strong moderation tools
Watch out for
- Mailman 3 setup is involved
- Multi-component architecture
Choose Postorius if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailman or Postorius better?
Neither is universally better. Mailman has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mailman and Postorius free and open-source?
Yes. Mailman is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Postorius under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailman and Postorius with Docker?
Mailman: yes. Postorius: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mailman or Postorius?
Postorius has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Mailman. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.