msmtp vs Nullmailer
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?
| Feature | msmtp | Nullmailer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 16 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 290 | ★ 199 |
| First released | 2004 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Sendmail | Sendmail |
Why pick each one
Choose msmtp if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is msmtp or Nullmailer better?
Neither is universally better. msmtp has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are msmtp and Nullmailer free and open-source?
Yes. msmtp is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Nullmailer under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run msmtp and Nullmailer with Docker?
msmtp: check the project docs for container support. Nullmailer: check the project docs for container support.