# Mailpit vs refref

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Mailpit | refref |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 ✓ | 44/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #11 of 12 in Marketing Automation |
| GitHub stars | 10 782 ✓ | 239 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +356 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 23 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v1.32.0 · 22 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Mailpit scores 77/100 against 44/100 for refref, so it is the safer default.

Mailpit ships more often: 23 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for refref.

If you want the quickest setup, Mailpit is easier to run; refref needs more configuration.

Mailpit is growing faster right now (+356 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Mailpit](https://selfhost.directory/project/mailpit) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mailpit.md)
- [refref](https://selfhost.directory/project/refref) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/refref.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/mailpit-vs-refref