# 2 Best Open Source Alternatives for Braze

Canonical: https://caniforkit.com/braze
Last updated: 2026-11-07

Looking for the best open source alternative for Braze? Compare 2 verified free and open source alternatives to Braze (Mautic, Dittofeed) with license details, self-hosting requirements, and practical trade-offs.

## Braze Overview & Subscription Cost
- **Product**: Braze
- **Category**: [seo & marketing](https://caniforkit.com/category/seo-marketing)
- **Paid Subscription Price**: $49/month per seat
- **1-Seat Annualized Cost**: $588/year
- **5-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $2,940/year
- **10-Person Team Annualized Cost**: $5,880/year
- **Can I Vibe-Code / Rebuild It Myself?**: NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens)
- **Rebuild Verdict**: Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Braze or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 2 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Mautic.

## Verified Free & Open Source Alternatives

| Alternative | Type | License | Runs On | GitHub Stars | Head-to-Head |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Mautic](https://caniforkit.com/fork/mautic) | Open Source | GPL-3.0+ | Self-host | ★ 10.9k | [Compare vs Braze](https://caniforkit.com/vs/braze-vs-mautic) |
| [Dittofeed](https://caniforkit.com/fork/dittofeed) | Open Source | MIT | Self-host | ★ 3k | [Compare vs Braze](https://caniforkit.com/vs/braze-vs-dittofeed) |

## In-Depth Alternative Profiles

### Mautic
- **Fork Page**: [Mautic Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/mautic)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Braze vs Mautic](https://caniforkit.com/vs/braze-vs-mautic)
- **Official Website**: https://www.mautic.org
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/mautic/mautic
- **License**: GPL-3.0+
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 10.9k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, self-host, real ops
- **Summary**: Mautic is a free and open source marketing automation platform that helps businesses manage leads, create campaigns, and analyze results.
- **The Catch vs Braze**: Mautic can match deep automation, but the user must operate the application, database, cron, upgrades, backups, mail transport, and deliverability stack.
- **Installation**: Download the production package or install with Composer, then configure PHP, a database, cron, and a mail transport
- **Setup**: The first wall is not the installer but production operation: PHP and database tuning, several cron jobs, HTTPS, backups, upgrades, SMTP/API sending, and DNS authentication.
- **Data Storage**: Contacts, segments, campaigns, events, and reports live in the configured MySQL or MariaDB database; assets, configuration, logs, and queue files live on the server filesystem.

### Dittofeed
- **Fork Page**: [Dittofeed Profile](https://caniforkit.com/fork/dittofeed)
- **Head-to-Head Comparison**: [Braze vs Dittofeed](https://caniforkit.com/vs/braze-vs-dittofeed)
- **Official Website**: https://dittofeed.com/
- **Source Code Repository**: https://github.com/dittofeed/dittofeed
- **License**: MIT
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **GitHub Stars**: 3k
- **Maintenance Activity**: nov 2026
- **Supported Platforms**: web, self-hosted, self-host, real ops
- **Summary**: Dittofeed offers low-code tools for message automation across multiple channels, including powerful segmentation and personalization features.
- **The Catch vs Braze**: Dittofeed handles event-driven segments and journeys, but its Postgres-and-ClickHouse operating burden and narrower all-in-one analytics experience are worse than Bento's managed stack.
- **Installation**: Dittofeed Cloud or Docker Compose/Kubernetes self-host
- **Setup**: Docker Compose brings Postgres and ClickHouse, but the harder first step is instrumenting product events and connecting an email provider.
- **Data Storage**: Self-hosted identity and configuration data lives in PostgreSQL and event/segment data in ClickHouse; optional blob data can use object storage.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the best free alternative to Braze?
The top free alternative to Braze is Mautic (open source, GPL-3.0+). Mautic is a free and open source marketing automation platform that helps businesses manage leads, create campaigns, and analyze results. Other popular Braze replacements include Dittofeed.

### How much does switching from Braze to a free alternative save?
Braze starts at $49/month per seat ($588/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Mautic saves $2,940 per year in software subscription fees.

### What is the catch when switching away from Braze?
While Mautic replaces core Braze features without subscription fees, the real-world trade-off is: Mautic can match deep automation, but the user must operate the application, database, cron, upgrades, backups, mail transport, and deliverability stack.

## Related

- [seo & marketing Software Category Hub](https://caniforkit.com/category/seo-marketing)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Self-Hosted Software Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)