Mailpile vs SnappyMail
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SnappyMail
Lightweight, fast and modern webmail client
| Feature | Mailpile | SnappyMail |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 29 · At risk | 50 · Fair |
| 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 | ★ 1,697 |
| First released | 2013 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Gmail, Outlook Web |
What are Mailpile and SnappyMail?
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
SnappyMail
SnappyMail is a simple, modern webmail client that is a maintained fork of RainLoop. It connects to any IMAP and SMTP server and is fast and easy to deploy.
- Fast, modern interface
- Works without a database
- Plugin support
- Connects to any IMAP/SMTP server
Mailpile vs SnappyMail: key differences
Mailpile is written in Python, while SnappyMail is built with PHP. SnappyMail is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Mailpile. Mailpile is the more established project (first released 2013), while SnappyMail arrived in 2021. Mailpile has the considerably larger community, at 8,816 GitHub stars versus 1,697. SnappyMail 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 SnappyMail if…
- Very lightweight
- Actively maintained RainLoop fork
Watch out for
- Fewer plugins than Roundcube
- Webmail only
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailpile or SnappyMail better?
Neither is universally better. Mailpile has the larger community, while SnappyMail is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Mailpile and SnappyMail free and open-source?
Yes. Mailpile is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SnappyMail under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailpile and SnappyMail with Docker?
Mailpile: check the project docs for container support. SnappyMail: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mailpile or SnappyMail?
SnappyMail 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.