RainLoop vs SimpleLogin
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?
RainLoop
Simple, modern and fast web-based email client
VS
SimpleLogin
Open source email alias solution to protect your email address
| Feature | RainLoop | SimpleLogin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,120 | ★ 6,896 |
| First released | 2013 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Gmail, Outlook Web | — |
Why pick each one
Choose RainLoop if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (4.1k GitHub stars)
Choose SimpleLogin if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.9k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
Frequently asked questions
Is RainLoop or SimpleLogin better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleLogin has the larger community, while RainLoop is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are RainLoop and SimpleLogin free and open-source?
Yes. RainLoop is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SimpleLogin under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run RainLoop and SimpleLogin with Docker?
RainLoop: yes. SimpleLogin: yes.