Mailtrain vs Mailu
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?
| Feature | Mailtrain | Mailu |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,743 | ★ 7,443 |
| First released | 2016 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
Why pick each one
Choose Mailtrain if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.7k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailtrain or Mailu better?
Neither is universally better. Mailu has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mailtrain and Mailu free and open-source?
Yes. Mailtrain is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mailu under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailtrain and Mailu with Docker?
Mailtrain: yes. Mailu: yes.