Mailpile vs RainLoop
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Mailpile | RainLoop |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,816 | ★ 4,114 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are Mailpile and RainLoop?
Mailpile
Mailpile is a free email client that emphasizes privacy, fast search, and built-in encryption. It runs as a personal web application that you host yourself.
- Fast local email search
- Built-in PGP encryption
- Privacy-respecting design
- Self-hosted personal webmail
RainLoop
RainLoop is a fast, simple webmail client with a modern interface that works with any IMAP and SMTP server. It stores no email data itself, acting as a thin client.
- Modern, responsive UI
- No database required
- Multi-account support
- Works with any IMAP server
Mailpile vs RainLoop: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: RainLoop's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Mailpile is actively maintained. Mailpile is written in Python, while RainLoop is built with PHP. RainLoop is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mailpile. Mailpile has the considerably larger community, at 8,816 GitHub stars versus 4,114. RainLoop lists first-class Docker deployment; Mailpile does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Mailpile if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 8.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Development has slowed
- Single-user focus
Choose RainLoop if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
Watch out for
- Development largely stalled
- SnappyMail is the active fork
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailpile or RainLoop better?
Neither is universally better. Mailpile has the larger community, while RainLoop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mailpile and RainLoop free and open-source?
Yes. Mailpile is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and RainLoop under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailpile and RainLoop with Docker?
Mailpile: check the project docs for container support. RainLoop: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mailpile or RainLoop?
RainLoop has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Mailpile. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.