Side by side
MailCatcher vs MailDev
Both stand on email testing software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APILinuxMac+2
MailCatcher provides a local way to inspect development email, with message views, attachment downloads, and API access. Check its Ruby requirement and UTF-8 limitation before relying on it for a workflow.
Visit MailCatcher
Free plan APISelf-hostedWeb
MailDev brings message inspection, rendering previews, and mail management into a development inbox. Its default lack of authentication and unencrypted storage make it unsuitable for public exposure or production traffic.
Visit MailDevThe facts
| MailCatcher | MailDev | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web | API, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Not published | Free or on request |
| Plans published | None | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | mailcatcher.me | maildev.github.io |
| On email testing software | #11 of 28 | #7 of 28 |
MailCatcher: what it does well
- Captures application messages for local inspection.
- Displays HTML, plain text, and source when available.
- Offers an API for message content and metadata.
- Setup examples cover Rails, PHP, and Django.
- Released under the MIT License.
What to know first
- Requires Ruby 3.3 or newer.
- Dependencies may require build tools.
- Mail processing is basic.
- UTF-8 sent directly over the wire is not fully supported.
MailDev: what it does well
- Displays rendered HTML, plain text, headers, and raw source
- REST API supports mail search and management
- New messages appear over WebSockets
- Can relay selected messages through an outgoing SMTP server
- Free and open source under the MIT license
What to know first
- No authentication by default
- Stores messages unencrypted
- Email retention is unlimited by default
Alternatives to MailCatcher Alternatives to MailDev The whole list