PostfixAdmin 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?
PostfixAdmin
Web interface for managing Postfix mail domains
VS
MailHog
Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server
| Feature | PostfixAdmin | MailHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,251 | ★ 16,107 |
| First released | 2003 | 2014 |
| Replaces | cPanel Email | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Choose PostfixAdmin if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
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 PostfixAdmin or MailHog better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider PostfixAdmin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are PostfixAdmin and MailHog free and open-source?
Yes. PostfixAdmin is licensed under GPL-2.0 and MailHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PostfixAdmin and MailHog with Docker?
PostfixAdmin: yes. MailHog: yes.