# Self-Hosted Mail Server vs Self-Hosted Email Marketing

> A self-hosted mail server gives you mailboxes. Self-hosted email marketing sends newsletters to a list. What each one is, the best-known software for both (Mailcow, Mail-in-a-Box, Stalwart), and why you shouldn't send bulk mail from your own mail server's IP.

Source: https://sendbroadcast.net/self-hosted/mail-server

People searching for a self-hosted mail server usually want one of two things, and they need different software.

- **A mail server** gives you mailboxes. You send and receive your own email at you@yourdomain.com, read it in an app over IMAP, and keep it on hardware you control. It replaces Gmail or Outlook for your domain.
- **Email marketing software** sends newsletters and automated emails to a list of subscribers. It handles sign-ups, unsubscribes, bounces and segments. It replaces Mailchimp or Kit.

You can self-host either one. You shouldn't use one to do the other's job.

## Self-hosted mail server software

| Software | What it is |
| --- | --- |
| Mailcow | A Docker-based suite: Postfix, Dovecot, spam filtering, webmail and an admin panel. |
| Mail-in-a-Box | One script that turns an Ubuntu server into a complete mail server with sensible defaults. |
| Stalwart | A newer all-in-one mail server written in Rust, with JMAP, IMAP and SMTP in one binary. |
| Mailu | A lightweight Docker mail server stack. |
| iRedMail | An installer that sets up a full mail server on Linux. |

Running a mail server is a real commitment. You need a server whose provider allows port 25, a clean IP address with reverse DNS, SPF, DKIM and DMARC, spam filtering, backups and updates. Many cloud providers block port 25 on new accounts; see [DigitalOcean's port 25 block](/blog/digitalocean-port-25-465-587-blocked) for an example.

## Why not send newsletters from your mail server?

Because your mailbox and your newsletter would share one IP address and one reputation. A newsletter to 10,000 people from a single self-hosted IP looks like spam to Gmail and Microsoft, especially if the IP is new. If it gets flagged, your personal and business email stops arriving too.

Bulk email needs things a mailbox server doesn't do: one-click unsubscribe headers, automatic handling of bounces and complaints, throttling, and the high sending reputation that services like Amazon SES and Postmark maintain across many senders.

## Self-hosted email marketing software

Self-hosted email marketing tools run your list on your own server but send through a delivery service like Amazon SES, Postmark or Mailgun. You own the software and the data. The delivery service carries the reputation.

| Software | What it is |
| --- | --- |
| [Listmonk](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/broadcast-vs-listmonk) | A free, fast newsletter and mailing list manager. |
| [Mautic](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/broadcast-vs-mautic) | Open-source marketing automation with a CRM, landing pages and campaigns. |
| [Sendy](https://sendbroadcast.net/compare/broadcast-vs-sendy) | A low-cost newsletter app that sends only through Amazon SES. |
| Broadcast | Newsletters, sequences with branching, segments and a transactional API, for $250 once. Sends through SES, Postmark, Mailgun or any SMTP. We make it. |

See the full comparison in [the best self-hosted email marketing software](/self-hosted/email-marketing-software).

## Which do you need?

**You want your own inbox on your own domain.** A mail server like Mailcow or Mail-in-a-Box, if you are ready to maintain it. Otherwise a privacy-focused hosted provider is far less work.

**You want to send a newsletter or marketing email.** Email marketing software, self-hosted or not, sending through a delivery service. Not your mailbox server.

**You want both.** Run them separately. Keep your mailboxes on one service, and send marketing email through a dedicated sending service, ideally from a subdomain like news.yourdomain.com so its reputation is kept apart.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best self-hosted mail server?

Mailcow and Mail-in-a-Box are the most widely used. Mailcow gives you more control and a full admin panel. Mail-in-a-Box is simpler to set up. Stalwart is a promising newer option.

### Can I send bulk email from my own mail server?

You can, but you shouldn't. A single self-hosted IP with no sending history gets filtered quickly at volume, and it takes your normal email down with it.

### Is it hard to run a self-hosted mail server?

Setting one up takes an afternoon with Mailcow or Mail-in-a-Box. Keeping it delivering takes ongoing care: IP reputation, blocklist monitoring, spam filtering, updates and backups.

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## Related

- [Self-hosted email marketing: the hub](/self-hosted)
- [How to warm up an email domain](/warm-up-email-domain)
- [Amazon SES pricing](/compare/amazon-ses-pricing)
- [Free MX lookup](/tools/free-mx-lookup)