msmtp vs OpenSMTPD
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?
msmtp
Lightweight SMTP client for sending mail
VS
OpenSMTPD
Secure and simple SMTP server from OpenBSD
| Feature | msmtp | OpenSMTPD |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | ISC |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 290 | ★ 579 |
| First released | 2004 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Sendmail | Sendmail, Postfix |
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 OpenSMTPD better?
Neither is universally better. OpenSMTPD has the larger community, while msmtp is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are msmtp and OpenSMTPD free and open-source?
Yes. msmtp is licensed under GPL-3.0 and OpenSMTPD under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run msmtp and OpenSMTPD with Docker?
msmtp: check the project docs for container support. OpenSMTPD: check the project docs for container support.