Mailtrain vs MailHog
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 | MailHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,743 | ★ 16,107 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp | Mailtrap |
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
Choose MailHog if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 16.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailtrain or MailHog better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Mailtrain if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mailtrain and MailHog free and open-source?
Yes. Mailtrain is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MailHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailtrain and MailHog with Docker?
Mailtrain: yes. MailHog: yes.