SHSelfHostIndex

MailHog vs Simple NixOS Mailserver

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?
MA MailHog Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server VS SI Simple NixOS Mailserver Complete mailserver solution leveraging the Nix Ecosystem
FeatureMailHogSimple NixOS Mailserver
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseMITGPL-3.0
LanguageGoNix
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM64 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcebare-metal
GitHub stars★ 16,107★ 307
First released20142019
ReplacesMailtrap—

Why pick each one

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
MailHog details

Choose Simple NixOS Mailserver if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Written in Nix
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Simple NixOS Mailserver details

Frequently asked questions

Is MailHog or Simple NixOS Mailserver better?

MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Simple NixOS Mailserver if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are MailHog and Simple NixOS Mailserver free and open-source?

Yes. MailHog is licensed under MIT and Simple NixOS Mailserver under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run MailHog and Simple NixOS Mailserver with Docker?

MailHog: yes. Simple NixOS Mailserver: check the project docs for container support.

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