Mailtrain vs NeoMutt
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 | NeoMutt |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,743 | ★ 3,799 |
| First released | 2016 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Mailchimp | Microsoft Outlook |
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 NeoMutt if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (3.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailtrain or NeoMutt better?
Neither is universally better. Mailtrain has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mailtrain and NeoMutt free and open-source?
Yes. Mailtrain is licensed under GPL-3.0 and NeoMutt under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailtrain and NeoMutt with Docker?
Mailtrain: yes. NeoMutt: check the project docs for container support.