How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Mautic is the most complete free option: full marketing automation, free forever, but you host it and you maintain it.
- Listmonk is the simplest path to cheap bulk sending: a single binary, PostgreSQL, and your own Amazon SES account.
- Keila gives you a modern Rails app with a hosted cloud option if you want open source without running servers.
- Every tool here is free to use as software; your real cost is hosting plus whatever your email delivery provider charges per thousand sends.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Mautic | Teams that want HubSpot-style automation without the HubSpot bill | Free (self-hosted open source) | Yes (the software itself is free forever) |
 Listmonk | High-volume newsletter senders who want the lowest possible cost per email | Free (self-hosted open source) | Yes (free forever, AGPL licensed) |
 Keila | Teams that want a modern interface with the option to pay for hosting | See website (self-hosted open source version is free) | Yes (self-hosted version free; cloud plans paid) |
 Mailtrain | Self-hosters comfortable running from the project's GitHub repository | Free (self-hosted open source) | Yes (free forever) |
 phpList | Organizations running large, long-lived subscriber lists | Free (self-hosted open source); hosted plans listed on the site | Yes (self-hosted version free) |
 OpenEMM | Companies that need enterprise-grade sending infrastructure free | Free (open source version) | Yes (open source edition free) |
 Dada Mail | Simple announcement lists with the least possible fuss | Free (self-hosted); Pro Dada hosted version, see website | Yes (self-hosted version free) |
 SendPortal | Laravel and PHP teams that want a clean, modern self-hosted sender | Free (self-hosted open source) | Yes (free forever) |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Why open source email marketing still wins on cost
A 50,000-subscriber list on a commercial platform can cost several hundred dollars a month. The same list on a five-dollar virtual server running Listmonk or Mautic costs the server plus a few dollars in Amazon SES fees. The tradeoff is that you become the deliverability team: SPF, DKIM, DMARC, bounce handling and IP reputation are yours to manage. These eight tools cover the real open source field in 2026, from full automation suites to single-purpose senders.
#1
Mautic
Best for: Teams that want HubSpot-style automation without the HubSpot bill
Visit mautic.org
Starting priceFree (self-hosted open source)
Free planYes (the software itself is free forever)
Mautic is the only tool here that competes with commercial marketing automation rather than just with newsletter senders. You get visual campaign builders, lead scoring, progressive profiling, dynamic web content and multi-channel touches, all without a per-contact price. For a small business outgrowing Mailchimp's free tier, Mautic on a ten-dollar server is the classic escape route.
The honest catch is operational. Mautic wants a proper LAMP/LEMP stack, cron jobs configured correctly, and updates applied on schedule; neglected installs get slow and then get compromised. Pair it with Amazon SES or another SMTP relay and warm your sending domain before any big campaign.
What we like- Full marketing automation (campaigns, lead scoring, dynamic content, A/B testing) at zero license cost
- Large community and plugin ecosystem
- Acquia-backed development keeps releases steady
Watch out for- Needs real server resources and regular updates
- The interface feels dated next to commercial tools
- Deliverability depends entirely on your sending setup
#2
Listmonk
Best for: High-volume newsletter senders who want the lowest possible cost per email
Visit listmonk.app
Starting priceFree (self-hosted open source)
Free planYes (free forever, AGPL licensed)
Listmonk is the minimalist's answer to expensive email platforms. It is a single compiled binary plus PostgreSQL, and it can push millions of messages a month from a small server. The campaign workflow (lists, templates, media, analytics) covers everything a newsletter operation needs and nothing it does not.
There is no drag-and-drop automation canvas here. If your needs are "send the weekly newsletter to 80,000 people for pennies," Listmonk is close to ideal. If you need behavioral triggers and lead scoring, look at Mautic instead.
What we like- Single Go binary with tiny resource needs
- Excellent throughput for bulk campaigns
- Clean template editor and subscriber management
Watch out for- No built-in marketing automation or visual journey builder
- You bring your own SMTP provider and manage bounces
- Smaller plugin ecosystem than Mautic
#3
Keila
Best for: Teams that want a modern interface with the option to pay for hosting
Visit keila.io
Starting priceSee website (self-hosted open source version is free)
Free planYes (self-hosted version free; cloud plans paid)
Keila is the modern face of open source email. Built with Elixir and Phoenix, it feels like a commercial product: contact management, campaigns, forms, and API access in a tidy interface. The project offers both a free self-hosted edition and a paid cloud version, so you can start free and pay for convenience later.
Being newer means fewer tutorials and integrations than the decade-old alternatives. But for a small business that wants open source without the 2010s interface, Keila is the most pleasant option here.
What we like- Clean, modern UI built on Elixir/Phoenix
- GDPR-friendly European project with privacy-first defaults
- Hosted cloud option for teams that do not want servers
Watch out for- Younger project with a smaller community than Mautic or phpList
- Automation features are lighter than Mautic's
- Hosted pricing is per-contact
#4
Mailtrain
Best for: Self-hosters comfortable running from the project's GitHub repository
Visit github.com
Starting priceFree (self-hosted open source)
Free planYes (free forever)
Mailtrain is a long-running Node.js newsletter app in the Mailchimp mold: lists, segments, templates, and campaign reports. Note that mailtrain.org now redirects to the project's GitHub repository, which is where downloads and docs live these days.
It remains a solid free sender for straightforward newsletters. Just go in knowing the project is community-maintained and quieter than it once was; Mautic or Listmonk have more momentum if that matters to you.
What we like- Familiar Mailchimp-style list and campaign workflow
- Supports multiple senders and templates
- No license cost of any kind
Watch out for- The standalone website now redirects to GitHub, so documentation is scattered
- Development pace has slowed
- You handle all server maintenance
#5
phpList
Best for: Organizations running large, long-lived subscriber lists
Visit phplist.com
Starting priceFree (self-hosted open source); hosted plans listed on the site
Free planYes (self-hosted version free)
phpList has been sending bulk email since 2000, and it shows in the best way: the documentation on queue processing, throttling, and bounce rules is the most thorough of any tool here. Huge lists that would cost a fortune elsewhere run fine on modest hosting.
The tradeoff is modernity. This is a workhorse, not a showpiece. If your priority is "send to 200,000 subscribers reliably every week," phpList deserves its place on the shortlist.
What we like- Battle-tested on lists with hundreds of thousands of subscribers
- Superb documentation on throttling and deliverability
- Hosted option at phplist.com for non-technical teams
Watch out for- Interface shows its age
- Setup expects comfort with PHP/MySQL hosting
- Advanced automation is limited
#6
OpenEMM
Best for: Companies that need enterprise-grade sending infrastructure free
Visit agnitas.de
Starting priceFree (open source version)
Free planYes (open source edition free)
OpenEMM is the open source edition of Agnitas's enterprise email marketing manager, and it carries that DNA: this is software built for serious volume, with the targeting and administration features to match. The project page now lives on agnitas.de, reflecting that Agnitas maintains it.
Expect a real IT project to deploy it. In return you get a sender that does not blink at millions of messages, free of license fees.
What we like- Proven at very high volumes with enterprise features (target groups, content management)
- Backed by Agnitas, a long-standing email vendor
- Strong bounce and response management
Watch out for- Heavier to install and operate than Listmonk or Mailtrain
- Documentation skews technical
- The open source edition trails the commercial EMM on features
Starting priceFree (self-hosted); Pro Dada hosted version, see website
Free planYes (self-hosted version free)
Dada Mail does one job: run mailing lists. Announce lists, discussion lists, and newsletters work out of the box with minimal configuration. For a club, school, or small business that just needs "email the list," it is the lowest-friction option here.
There is also Pro Dada, a hosted version, if you want the simplicity without the server. Power users will outgrow it; everyone else may never need more.
What we like- Extremely simple to install and run
- Handles discussion and announcement lists well
- Low resource requirements
Watch out for- Basic feature set with no marketing automation
- Dated interface
- Smaller community than the bigger names here
#8
SendPortal
Best for: Laravel and PHP teams that want a clean, modern self-hosted sender
Visit sendportal.io
Starting priceFree (self-hosted open source)
Free planYes (free forever)
SendPortal is a Laravel-based newsletter platform that feels current: workspaces, subscribers, segments, templates, and campaigns in a tidy interface. Agencies like the multi-workspace model for separating clients.
It is squarely a sending tool, not an automation suite. PHP shops will feel at home; everyone else should weigh it against Listmonk's simpler deployment.
What we like- Modern Laravel application with a clean UI
- Multi-workspace support for agencies
- Queue-based sending that scales well
Watch out for- Requires a Laravel-capable hosting setup
- No native automation builder
- Community is smaller than Mautic's
What self-hosting really costs
The software is free, but budget three things. First, a virtual server: five to twenty dollars a month covers most lists here. Second, email delivery: Amazon SES charges about a dollar per ten thousand emails, so volume matters more than subscriber count. Third, your time: initial setup takes an afternoon, and you will spend ongoing time on updates, monitoring, and deliverability. For lists under a few thousand subscribers, a commercial free tier may honestly be cheaper once your time has a price.
How we chose
We started from the queue topic and checked each candidate against three tests: the project must be genuinely open source with a license you can verify, it must be maintained (a live repository or vendor page, not an abandoned download), and it must handle real bulk sending rather than being a developer library. We opened every homepage, confirmed the final URL, and noted where projects have moved (Mailtrain to GitHub, OpenEMM under Agnitas). Prices are not an issue here since all eight are free as software; where paid hosted editions exist, we say so and point you to the vendor.
Match the tool to your actual needs, not the feature list. If you need automation (welcome series, lead scoring, behavioral triggers), Mautic is the only real answer here. If you send big newsletters and count pennies, Listmonk wins on efficiency. If you want modern and might pay for hosting later, Keila is the bridge. If you run enormous legacy lists, phpList's deliverability docs will save you. And if "just email the list" is the whole requirement, Dada Mail or SendPortal will get you there fastest.
Before you commit, check two practical things. First, confirm your host allows outbound email on port 25/587 or plan to use an SMTP relay from day one; many cloud providers block port 25 by default. Second, set up SPF, DKIM, and DMARC on your sending domain before your first campaign, because no software can fix a missing authentication record.
Frequently asked questions
Is open source email marketing really free?
The software is free, but sending is not. You pay for hosting (typically five to twenty dollars a month for a virtual server) and for email delivery (for example, about a dollar per ten thousand emails via Amazon SES). For large lists this is still far cheaper than commercial platforms.
Do I need my own server?
For six of these eight tools, yes, or a host that runs them for you. Keila and phpList offer paid hosted versions, and Dada Mail has Pro Dada, if you want open source software without managing a server.
Which open source tool is best for beginners?
Keila and SendPortal have the most modern, approachable interfaces. Mautic is the most powerful but also the most demanding to set up and maintain.
Can I migrate my list from Mailchimp?
Yes. All eight tools import CSV subscriber lists, and most document the migration path. Export unsubscribes and bounces too, and honor them on import to protect your sender reputation.
How do I avoid the spam folder?
Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM, and DMARC, warm new sending domains gradually, keep lists clean of bounces and complaints, and send content people actually open. The tool matters less than these fundamentals.
Sources we checked (8)
- https://mautic.org/
- https://listmonk.app/
- https://www.keila.io/
- https://github.com/Mailtrain-org/mailtrain
- https://www.phplist.com/
- https://www.agnitas.de/en/e-marketing_manager/email-marketing-software-variants/openemm/
- https://dadamailproject.com/
- https://sendportal.io/
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.