# Postal: Free Open Source Alternative to AWS SES, MailerSend, Mailgun

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

Postal (Open Source, Open Source) replaces AWS SES, MailerSend, Mailgun, Postmark. Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email.

## Tool Specifications
- **Tool Name**: Postal
- **Type**: Open Source Project
- **License**: Open Source
- **Official Website**: https://docs.postalserver.io/
- **GitHub Repository**: https://github.com/postalserver/postal
- **GitHub Stars**: ★ 16.9k
- **Runs On**: Self-host
- **Maintenance Status**: nov 2026
- **Platforms**: web, self-hosted, docker to self-host
- **Data Storage**: All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- **Installation**: Clone https://github.com/postalserver/postal or deploy with Docker Compose
- **Setup Requirements**: Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- **The Catch / Limitation**: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed AWS SES.

## Paid SaaS Applications Replaced (6)
Replacing these paid tools with Postal saves up to $124/mo ($1,488/yr) in software subscriptions:

| Replaced Software | Category | SaaS Price | Comparison Guide |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [AWS SES](https://caniforkit.com/aws-ses) | [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email) | $15/mo | [Compare AWS SES vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/aws-ses-vs-postal) |
| [MailerSend](https://caniforkit.com/mailersend) | [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email) | $15/mo | [Compare MailerSend vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/mailersend-vs-postal) |
| [Mailgun](https://caniforkit.com/mailgun) | [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email) | $15/mo | [Compare Mailgun vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/mailgun-vs-postal) |
| [Postmark](https://caniforkit.com/postmark) | [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email) | $15/mo | [Compare Postmark vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/postmark-vs-postal) |
| [Resend](https://caniforkit.com/resend) | [email](https://caniforkit.com/category/email) | $15/mo | [Compare Resend vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/resend-vs-postal) |
| [SendGrid](https://caniforkit.com/sendgrid) | [seo & marketing](https://caniforkit.com/category/seo-marketing) | $49/mo | [Compare SendGrid vs Postal](https://caniforkit.com/vs/sendgrid-vs-postal) |

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is Postal free and open source?
Postal is an open source tool licensed under Open Source that runs on self-host. Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email.

### What is the trade-off or limitation of using Postal?
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed AWS SES.

## Related

- [Self-Hosted Open Source Directory](https://caniforkit.com/self-hosted)
- [All Paid SaaS Alternatives Index](https://caniforkit.com/alternatives)
- [Software Categories Directory](https://caniforkit.com/categories)
- [Homepage](https://caniforkit.com)