MailHog vs Apache SpamAssassin
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?
MailHog
Email testing tool with a fake SMTP server
VS
Apache SpamAssassin
Rule-based and Bayesian anti-spam mail filter
| Feature | MailHog | Apache SpamAssassin |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Perl |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,107 | ★ 341 |
| First released | 2014 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Mailtrap | Proprietary spam filtering appliances |
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
Choose Apache SpamAssassin if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Perl
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is MailHog or Apache SpamAssassin better?
MailHog is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Apache SpamAssassin if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MailHog and Apache SpamAssassin free and open-source?
Yes. MailHog is licensed under MIT and Apache SpamAssassin under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MailHog and Apache SpamAssassin with Docker?
MailHog: yes. Apache SpamAssassin: check the project docs for container support.