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.
Not the right match-up?
Mailpile
Privacy-focused, searchable email client
VS
RainLoop
Simple, modern and fast web-based email client
| Feature | Mailpile | RainLoop |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 8,825 | ★ 4,120 |
| First released | 2013 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
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
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)
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.