Side by side
MinuteMail vs SpamEater
Both stand on temporary email services. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan APIWeb
MinuteMail combines short-lived test inboxes with OAuth testing and several developer access methods. The free plan has modest daily-call and mailbox limits, and paid plans start at $86/yr.
Visit MinuteMail Paid APILinuxSelf-hosted+1
SpamEater provides short-lived inboxes with a self-hosted deployment model and several listed security protections. The 24-hour deletion, exposed inbox-name access and plaintext inbound SMTP are important limits to consider.
Visit SpamEaterThe facts
| MinuteMail | SpamEater | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not published |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | API, Web | API, Linux, Self-hosted, Web |
| Lowest paid plan | Hobbyist: $86 a year | Not published |
| Plans published | 4 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | minutemail.co | github.com |
| On temporary email services | #40 of 44 | #44 of 44 |
MinuteMail: what it does well
- Inbox lifetimes can be configured from 1 to 60 minutes.
- Supports OAuth 2.0 authorization code flows with optional PKCE.
- Official Python SDK and MCP server are available.
- Free plan includes 50 API calls per day.
What to know first
- Free plan is limited to 2 active mailboxes.
- Mailbox contents are permanently deleted when they expire.
- Service is intended for temporary, non-sensitive communications.
SpamEater: what it does well
- No user accounts, tracking or analytics.
- Email bodies are encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM.
- Web interface uses HTTPS and blocks remote images initially.
- Offers Docker deployment and a native installer.
- Supports custom domains, attachments and API access.
What to know first
- Inboxes and mail are permanently deleted after 24 hours.
- Anyone who knows an inbox name can read it.
- Inbound SMTP on port 25 is plaintext.
- Setup requires DNS, a static IP and open ports.
Alternatives to MinuteMail Alternatives to SpamEater The whole list