smtp4dev vs Mailpit
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?
smtp4dev
Fake SMTP server for development email testing
VS
Mailpit
Email and SMTP testing tool with web UI
| Feature | smtp4dev | Mailpit |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C# | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,941 | ★ 10,067 |
| First released | 2015 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Mailtrap | Mailtrap, MailHog |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is smtp4dev or Mailpit better?
Neither is universally better. Mailpit has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are smtp4dev and Mailpit free and open-source?
Yes. smtp4dev is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Mailpit under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run smtp4dev and Mailpit with Docker?
smtp4dev: yes. Mailpit: yes.