Mailgun costs $15/mo.
These cost $0.
7 free alternatives to Mailgun, checked for license, recent activity and real adoption. Each one tells you the catch, so you can switch with your eyes open.
The top-rated free, open-source replacement for Mailgun is Billion Mail (Open Source Open Source). Across this category, 6 self-hostable tools are available (including Billion Mail and Postal). Switching a 5-person team saves up to $900/year compared to Mailgun's $15/mo subscription.
The catch: Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Mailgun vs Free Alternatives
Quick side-by-side comparison · $0/mo vs $15/mo
| Alternative | Type | License | Where It Runs | Stars | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billion Mail | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 16.2k | Mailgun vs Billion Mail → |
| Postal | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 16.9k | Mailgun vs Postal → |
| Plunk | open source | AGPL-3.0 | Self-host | ★ 5.6k | Mailgun vs Plunk → |
| useSend | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 4.8k | Mailgun vs useSend → |
| Sessy | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 945 | Mailgun vs Sessy → |
| Hyvor Relay | open source | Open Source | Self-host | ★ 922 | Mailgun vs Hyvor Relay → |
| Wraps | open source | Open Source | Local | ★ 66 | Mailgun vs Wraps → |
The picks
7 open source · ranked by fit
- 01
Billion Mail
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host16.2knov 2026Self-hosted email marketing platform with unlimited sending, AI-powered email creation, real-time analytics, and no monthly fees. Complete SMTP solution.
The catch vs MailgunRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/aapanel/billionmail or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 02
Postal
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host16.9knov 2026Run your own mail delivery infrastructure with a web interface, webhooks, IP pools, and spam filtering integrations for inbound and outbound email.
The catch vs MailgunRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/postalserver/postal or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 03
Plunk
open sourceAGPL-3.0Self-host5.6knov 2026Plunk unifies marketing, transactional, and broadcast emails into a single, complete solution for businesses of all sizes.
The catch vs MailgunPlunk is developer-first and much thinner in visual audience management, CRM depth, segmentation tooling, and marketer-oriented reporting.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Hosted signup, or the official Docker Compose stack
- setup
- Hosted use still needs domain authentication; self-hosting adds PostgreSQL, Redis, MinIO, Nginx or another proxy, exposed web and SMTP services, DNS, and ongoing deliverability work.
- your data
- The self-hosted stack stores core data in PostgreSQL, jobs and cache in Redis, and objects in MinIO; hosted data is kept in Plunk's EU infrastructure.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 04
useSend
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host4.8knov 2026Open source email platform for transactional and marketing emails. Self-host or use cloud service with transparent pricing - pay only for emails sent.
The catch vs MailgunRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/usesend/usesend or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 05
Sessy
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host945nov 2026Track SES deliveries, bounces, opens and clicks in a self-hosted dashboard with real-time search, analytics and reputation monitoring.
The catch vs MailgunRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/marckohlbrugge/sessy or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 06
Hyvor Relay
open sourceOpen SourceSelf-host922nov 2026Self-hosted email API alternative to AWS SES & Mailgun. Open-source AGPL-3.0 with enterprise features, automated deliverability, and cloud version coming 2026.
The catch vs MailgunRequires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- install
- Clone https://github.com/hyvor/relay or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Deploy via Docker or binary release from GitHub and configure environment variables.
- your data
- All application data and configuration live on your own server or local database.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
- 07
Wraps
open sourceOpen SourceLocal66nov 2026Build email templates as React components and automations in TypeScript. Deploy to your AWS account with SES integration. Marketing teams edit content without code.
The catch vs MailgunCommunity-driven open source project without dedicated enterprise SLAs.
Install, platforms & data +
- platforms
- desktopcross-platformone-click install
- install
- Clone https://github.com/wraps-team/wraps or deploy with Docker Compose
- setup
- Download the native package or installer for your operating system.
- your data
- All application data lives locally on your own machine.
- checked
- 2026-11-07
Mailgun Head-to-Head Comparisons (2027)
Side-by-side trade-off breakdowns · 7 free alternatives
Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers · Mailgun open-source replacements
What is the best free alternative to Mailgun?+
The top free alternative to Mailgun is Billion Mail (open source, Open Source). Self-hosted email marketing platform with unlimited sending, AI-powered email creation, real-time analytics, and no monthly fees. Complete SMTP solution. Other popular Mailgun replacements include Postal, Plunk, useSend.
Can I self-host a free replacement for Mailgun?+
Yes. Of the 7 free alternatives to Mailgun, 6 can be self-hosted on your own server or local machine: Billion Mail (Open Source), Postal (Open Source), Plunk (AGPL-3.0), useSend (Open Source), Sessy (Open Source), Hyvor Relay (Open Source).
How much does switching from Mailgun to a free alternative save?+
Mailgun starts at $15/month per seat ($180/year). Switching a 5-person team to a free alternative like Billion Mail saves $900 per year in software subscription fees.
Should I vibe-code or build my own Mailgun clone from scratch?+
Our build verdict for Mailgun is NO (use a free alternative, save the tokens). Instead of paying recurring SaaS fees for Mailgun or rebuilding it from scratch, deploy one of the 7 battle-tested open-source alternatives like Billion Mail.
What is the catch when switching from Mailgun to Billion Mail?+
Requires self-hosting setup, updates, and server maintenance compared to managed Mailgun.
