Side by side
MailFlow vs Mailpile
Both stand on email clients. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Self-hostedWeb
MailFlow combines a broad account range, unified search, and self-hosted data control in one web client. Check its lack of offline, scheduling, and calendar features, and choose the plan that matches personal or commercial use.
Visit MailFlow Free plan APILinuxMac+3
Mailpile offers self-hosted email management with search, organization, and encryption-focused features. Its ongoing rewrite and unavailable downloads are important considerations before deployment.
Visit MailpileThe facts
| MailFlow | Mailpile | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Self-hosted, Web | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Business Use: $500 per installation, paid once | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | mailflow.sh | mailpile.is |
| On email clients | #54 of 142 | #58 of 142 |
MailFlow: what it does well
- Supports Gmail, iCloud Mail, Outlook, Fastmail, and IMAP
- Real-time syncing and full-text search across accounts
- AI can summarize, draft, and answer message questions
- Creates linked Todoist tasks from emails
- Includes inbox rules and newsletter unsubscribe tools
What to know first
- No scheduled sending or calendar tools
- No offline access
- Business license costs $500 a month
- Requires Docker Engine 24+ and Docker Compose v2
Mailpile: what it does well
- Free and open source
- Self-run software with no ads or spying
- Fast search with tags and classifiers
- Web, command-line, and developer interfaces
- Supports local mail and remote IMAP
What to know first
- Current release is listed as “tbd”
- Legacy codebase is no longer updated
- Downloads are temporarily unavailable
- Project is undergoing a rewrite
Alternatives to MailFlow Alternatives to Mailpile The whole list