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Listmonk

✓ Verified FOSSAGPL-3.0
Top open-source alternative to Mailchimp

High performance, self-hosted, newsletter and mailing list manager with a modern dashboard. Single binary app.

Tech StackGo, Vue, PostgreSQL
Self-Host DifficultyEasy
License ModelAGPL-3.0
GitHub Repositoryknadh/listmonk

Recommended VPS & Hardware Sizing

Estimated Hosting: $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean)
Min RAM:1 GB
Rec RAM:2 GB
Compute:1 vCPU
Disk Space:10 GB SSD

Listmonk vs Mailchimp Comparison Matrix

Evaluation CriteriaListmonk (Open Source)Mailchimp (Proprietary)
Subscriber Count LimitsMillions of subscribers on $5/mo VPSExponential pricing as subscriber lists grow
Sending SpeedUp to 1,500 emails/second multi-threadedThrottled queues on lower subscription tiers
Email Provider FreedomBring any SMTP (Amazon SES, Postmark, etc.)Locked into Mailchimp delivery network
INTERACTIVE TCO MODELEstimated Rate: $185/user/mo

Financial Impact: Migrating from Mailchimp to Self-Hosted Listmonk

Detailed Stack Calculator →
5 Users (Early Startup)50 Users (Scaleup)200 Users (Enterprise Org)
Mailchimp (Cloud SaaS)Per-Seat Tax
$55,500per year ($4,625/mo)
3-Year Spend:$166,500

* Excludes enterprise SSO add-ons & usage overages

Listmonk (Self-Hosted)Zero Per-Seat Fee
$120per year ($10/mo Linux VPS)
3-Year Compute:$360

* Commodity Hetzner / DigitalOcean compute instance

Cumulative 3-Year ROI+$166,140Net savings across 36 months (100% reduction)
Annual Free Cash:+$55,380/yr
Need C-Level Buy-In? Generate an instant ROI proposal memo to present to your CTO or CFO.

Core Capabilities & Features

✓Millions of Emails / Day
✓Zero Subscriber Limits
✓Bring Your Own SMTP / SES
✓Full Privacy & Analytics

Self-Host Listmonk with Docker Compose

Tweak configuration ports, secrets, and volumes live. Download or copy your ready-to-run container file:

1-Click Docker Compose Generator

Generate production-ready container definitions with customizable ports and volumes.

ListmonkAGPL-3.0

High-performance, self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager

Difficulty: Easy23,763 ⭐
Configure Parameters
docker-compose.listmonk.yml
version: "3.8"
services:
  listmonk:
    image: listmonk/listmonk:latest
    ports:
      - "${PORT:-9000}:9000"
    environment:
      LISTMONK_db__password: ${DB_PWD:-listmonk_pwd}
      LISTMONK_db__host: db
    depends_on:
      - db
  db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: ${DB_PWD:-listmonk_pwd}
      POSTGRES_DB: listmonk
    volumes:
      - listmonk_pg:/var/lib/postgresql/data
volumes:
  listmonk_pg:

Frequently Asked Questions: Self-Hosting Listmonk

How do I self-host Listmonk using Docker Compose?

You can deploy Listmonk (knadh/listmonk) on any Linux server by copying the docker-compose.yml template on this page, configuring your desired host port and persistent volume directory, and running 'docker compose up -d'.

How does Listmonk compare to Mailchimp?

Listmonk is an open-source, self-hosted alternative to Mailchimp built with Go, Vue, PostgreSQL. Unlike Mailchimp ($20 - $350+ / month), Listmonk has zero per-user licensing fees and keeps 100% of your data on your own infrastructure.

What are the minimum VPS RAM and CPU requirements for Listmonk?

For production self-hosting (Easy difficulty tier), we recommend at least 2 GB RAM (minimum 1 GB), 1 vCPU, and 10 GB SSD storage, which typically costs $4 - $6/mo (e.g. Hetzner CX22 or DigitalOcean).

Is Listmonk free for commercial business use under the AGPL-3.0 license?

Yes. Distributed under the AGPL-3.0 license, Listmonk can be self-hosted internally by businesses and engineering teams of any size without per-seat royalties.

README INTEGRATION // REPO EMBED

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