Mailpit vs SquirrelMail
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 | Mailpit | SquirrelMail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,067 | — |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Mailtrap, MailHog | — |
Why pick each one
Choose SquirrelMail if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailpit or SquirrelMail better?
Mailpit is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SquirrelMail if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mailpit and SquirrelMail free and open-source?
Yes. Mailpit is licensed under MIT and SquirrelMail under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailpit and SquirrelMail with Docker?
Mailpit: yes. SquirrelMail: check the project docs for container support.