# Mailtrain alternatives: six maintained options for when it is time to move

> Mailtrain has not shipped a release since June 2021. The best maintained alternatives in 2026: Listmonk, Keila, phpList, Mautic, Sendy, and Broadcast, plus how to move your lists off Mailtrain.

Source: https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/mailtrain-alternatives

Mailtrain is a good piece of software that nobody is working on. Its last release, v2 from June 2021, is still the newest. The last commit on the main branch was in December 2022. The README still targets Node.js 14, which reached end of life in April 2023. If Mailtrain runs your newsletter today, it keeps working until a dependency or a security issue stops it. This page lists six maintained tools that can take over, sorted by what you used Mailtrain for.

Quick answer

Mailtrain is unmaintained, so pick by what you used it for. **Listmonk** if you sent newsletters to several lists and want it free. **Keila** if you want the nicest open-source interface. **Broadcast** if you used Mailtrain's triggered automation and want drip sequences with branching, for a one-time $250 license. **Mautic** if you need full marketing automation. **phpList** for a mature, maintained list manager. **Sendy** if you send through Amazon SES only.

Conflict of interest

We make [Broadcast](https://sendbroadcast.net/), which is on this list. The Mailtrain dates on this page come from its public GitHub repository. If something here is wrong, [tell us](mailto:simon@furvur.com) and we will fix it.

Looking for Mailtrap?

Mailtrap is a different product: a hosted service for testing and sending email from your app. This page is about Mailtrain, the open-source newsletter app you host yourself.

## Is Mailtrain still maintained?

No, as far as the public record shows. The official repository, Mailtrain-org/mailtrain, is not archived, but:

- The newest release is **v2.20210609.0**, from June 9, 2021.
- The last commit on the `v2` branch is from **December 2022**.
- The official Docker image has not been updated in about five years.
- The README targets **Node.js 14**, which reached end of life in April 2023.
- More than 100 issues are open.

Community forks exist, and some of them update the Node.js and database versions. Check how active a fork is before you trust it with your list.

## What Mailtrain did well

Mailtrain v2 was a complete rewrite with a strong feature set for a free tool: multiple lists, segmentation, custom fields, MJML templates, triggered and RSS campaigns, granular user permissions, and hierarchical namespaces for larger teams. It also shipped with a built-in mail server for a near-zero delivery setup. A replacement should cover the parts of that you actually used.

## The six alternatives at a glance

| Platform | License | Replaces | Costs you | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Listmonk | AGPL, free | Multiple lists, segments, templates, fast sending | No triggered automation | Newsletter senders who want free and fast |
| Keila | AGPL, free | Lists, segments, a better interface | Automations still on the roadmap | Non-developers who stay open source |
| Broadcast | $250 one-time | Triggered automation as branching sequences, RSS-fed newsletters | Not open source | Teams who used Mailtrain's automation |
| Mautic | GPL, free | Automation, and much more | A heavy PHP stack | Teams with an ops person |
| phpList | AGPL, free | Lists and subscription management | Dated interface, cron-driven sending | Long-running community lists |
| Sendy | About $69 one-time | Simple newsletters and autoresponders | SES only, per-install license | Amazon SES users |

## Listmonk

Listmonk is the closest replacement for most Mailtrain installs. It is a single Go binary with a Postgres database, free under the AGPL, and actively maintained. It handles many lists, segments by SQL query, templates, and high-volume sending on a small server, through any SMTP relay or Amazon SES.

It has no triggered or drip automation. If you only sent campaigns to lists, you will not miss anything.

Pick Listmonk if you want a free, maintained tool that covers Mailtrain's newsletter side. Detail in [Broadcast vs Listmonk](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/broadcast-vs-listmonk).

## Keila

Keila is an Elixir application under the AGPL, built in Germany, with an official Docker image and the most polished interface in open-source email. Segments and scheduled sends work today. Automations are on the roadmap as of mid-2026.

Pick Keila if a good interface for non-technical users matters most. Detail in [Keila alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/keila-alternatives).

## Broadcast

Broadcast is our product, so read this section with that in mind. It is a self-hosted Rails application sold as a $250 one-time license, installed with an automatic installer in about 30 minutes. It is maintained and ships often, and updates are one click in the dashboard.

It replaces Mailtrain's triggered campaigns with drip sequences that start when a tag is added or a subscriber matches a segment, and that branch on conditions. Its Autopilot feature drafts a newsletter from RSS feeds, GitHub releases, and web pages, and every draft waits for your review. It has multiple channels with their own lists, segments, opt-in forms, a transactional API, webhooks, and users with permissions. You bring your own ESP: Amazon SES, Postmark, SendGrid, Mailgun, Resend, or any SMTP server. There is no built-in mail server, so you need a relay. Email support is included, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. It is not open source.

Pick Broadcast if you relied on Mailtrain's automation and want it maintained, with someone to email when it breaks.

## Mautic

Mautic is the deepest automation tool in open source: a visual campaign builder, lead scoring, landing pages, and CRM integrations. It moves you from Node to PHP and asks for a web server, PHP-FPM, MySQL, cron, and a queue on a larger server.

Pick Mautic if you need more automation than Mailtrain ever had and have someone to run it. Detail in [Mautic alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/mautic-alternatives).

## phpList

phpList has run since 2000 and is still maintained: version 3.7.0 shipped in August 2026. Its list management and double opt-in are very mature. The interface is dated, sending runs from a cron job, and there are no drip sequences.

Pick phpList if the list is the asset and stability matters more than features. Detail in [phpList alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/phplist-alternatives).

## Sendy

Sendy is a PHP application, about $69 one-time and licensed per installation. It only sends through Amazon SES and handles SES bounces and complaints well. Automation is timed autoresponders with no branching.

Pick Sendy if you are on SES and want a simple paid tool. Detail in [Sendy alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/sendy-alternatives).

## How to choose

1. **You sent newsletters to lists and want free.** Listmonk.
2. **You used triggered campaigns and want them maintained.** Broadcast.
3. **Non-technical people run the newsletter.** Keila.
4. **You need full marketing automation.** Mautic.
5. **You want the most conservative, long-running option.** phpList.
6. **You are on Amazon SES and want it cheap.** Sendy.

## Moving your lists off Mailtrain

1. **Export each list.** Mailtrain stores subscribers per list. Export every list to CSV with its custom fields, and keep unsubscribed addresses in a separate file.
2. **Save your templates as HTML.** Send a test of each template to yourself and keep the rendered HTML. MJML templates need to be compiled to HTML first.
3. **Write down your automations.** Note each trigger, delay, and email. You rebuild them by hand in the new tool.
4. **Set up a relay.** If you used Mailtrain's built-in mail server, you need an ESP now, such as Amazon SES or Postmark. Authenticate your domain before the first send. See [SES vs Postmark vs Mailgun](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/ses-vs-postmark-vs-mailgun).
5. **Import and test.** Import each list, send to a small engaged segment first, and watch bounces before you send to everyone.

## Frequently asked

### Is Mailtrain still maintained?

No. The last official release is v2 from June 2021, and the last commit on the main branch is from December 2022. The README still targets Node.js 14, which reached end of life in April 2023. Some community forks exist.

### What is the best alternative to Mailtrain?

Listmonk for most installs. It is free, maintained, and covers multiple lists, segments, and templates. If you used Mailtrain's triggered automation, Broadcast replaces it with branching drip sequences.

### Is Mailtrain the same as Mailtrap?

No. Mailtrap is a hosted service for testing and sending email from applications. Mailtrain is an open-source newsletter app you host yourself.

### Is it safe to keep running Mailtrain?

It works until something forces an upgrade. An unmaintained app on an end-of-life Node.js version gets no security fixes, and it handles your subscribers' personal data. Plan a move before a problem forces one.

### Can I move my Mailtrain subscribers to another tool?

Yes. Export each list to CSV with its custom fields and import them into the new tool. Keep unsubscribed addresses in a separate file so they stay unsubscribed.

## Related

- [phpList alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/phplist-alternatives)
- [Listmonk alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/listmonk-alternatives)
- [Mautic alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/mautic-alternatives)
- [Keila alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/keila-alternatives)
- [Sendy alternatives](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/sendy-alternatives)
- [The 7 best self-hosted email marketing platforms](https://sendbroadcast.net/self-hosted/email-marketing-software)

## Replace Mailtrain with something maintained

Broadcast covers lists, segments, and triggered sequences with branching, and it ships updates you install with one click. A $250 one-time license, your own ESP, and email support.

[How Broadcast works](https://sendbroadcast.net/) [Try the live demo](https://demo.sendbroadcast.net/)