listmonk
High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app.
24.0k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Mailchimp
Newsletters and email campaigns without per-contact pricing. You still need an email-sending service (like Amazon SES) behind most of these, so reaching the inbox is your job.
Category: Email marketing · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| listmonk Active AGPL-3.0 | High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app. | AGPL-3.0 | 24.0k | Oct 28, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Mautic Active Mixed or custom | Mautic: Open Source Marketing Automation Software. | Mixed or custom | 10.9k | Oct 26, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| Plunk Active AGPL-3.0 | The Open-Source Email Platform. | AGPL-3.0 | 5.6k | Oct 21, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
| Keila Active AGPL-3.0 | Open Source Newsletter Tool. | AGPL-3.0 | 2.3k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Yes, from the project |
Are they still maintained?
4 of 4 Mailchimp alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- listmonk: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Mautic: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- Plunk: active, last activity Oct 28, 2026 (1 days ago)
- Keila: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Mailchimp costs
Mailchimp: current plans and prices are on Mailchimp's pricing page.
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| listmonk | Your server | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Mautic | Your server | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| Plunk | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
| Keila | Your server, or the project's hosted plan | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent (or own), or the project's paid hosted plan. |
Self-hosting basics: listmonk, Mautic, Plunk and Keila need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
Don't want to run a server? Plunk and Keila offer a hosted plan run by the project itself. Prices change, so check each project's site.
License check: Mautic does not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using it in a business.
The options in more detail
Mautic
Mautic: Open Source Marketing Automation Software.
10.9k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Plunk
The Open-Source Email Platform.
5.6k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 28, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Keila
Open Source Newsletter Tool.
2.3k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Mailchimp alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Mailchimp?
It depends on how you use Mailchimp. Of the 4 options here, listmonk is the most followed on GitHub (24.0k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Oct 28, 2026.
Is there a self-hosted Mailchimp alternative?
Yes. listmonk, Mautic, Plunk and Keila run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. If you'd rather not run a server, Plunk and Keila also offer a hosted plan from the people who make them.
Is there a free alternative to Mailchimp?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of Mautic before using it in a business.
Are these Mailchimp alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 4 of 4 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Mailchimp?
The software itself is free. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. Mautic: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
Know a project we missed, or maintain one listed here? Tell us. Maintainers can add a live status badge to their README.
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