Forward Email 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?
Forward Email
Privacy-focused encrypted email for everyone
VS
MailHog
Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server
| Feature | Forward Email | MailHog |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,655 | ★ 16,107 |
| First released | 2026 | 2014 |
| Replaces | — | Mailtrap |
Why pick each one
Choose Forward Email if…
- Released under the BUSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k 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 Forward Email or MailHog better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Forward Email if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Forward Email and MailHog free and open-source?
Yes. Forward Email is licensed under BUSL-1.1 and MailHog under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Forward Email and MailHog with Docker?
Forward Email: yes. MailHog: yes.