MailHog
MailHog is an email testing tool for developers. It captures outgoing email and displays it in a web interface for testing, without sending the emails externally. Useful for testing email in development environments.
email
testing
development
MailHog: Email Testing Tool
MailHog captures outgoing email and displays it in a web interface for testing, without sending the emails externally. Useful for testing email in development environments.
What is MailHog?
MailHog is an open source email testing tool used by developers for testing email in development and staging environments. It captures outgoing email and displays it in a web interface, instead of sending it externally. This allows developers to test email workflows without spamming real email addresses.
Some key features of MailHog:
- Catches SMTP traffic internally and displays it in a web UI
- Lets you view text and HTML email bodies, attachments, headers etc.
- Tests email sending without needing real SMTP servers
- Easy to install and configure, runs on Mac, Windows, Linux
- Lightweight, written in Go language
- Open source and free to use
MailHog is useful for testing registration emails, welcome emails, notifications and more during app development and testing phases. It prevents test emails from being delivered to real users, keeping their inboxes clean. The ability to inspect emails in the UI makes MailHog a developer-friendly tool for building and testing email workflows.
MailHog Features
Features
- Captures outgoing email and displays in web interface
- Does not send emails externally, for safe testing
- Supports SMTP and HTTP interfaces
- View and download email content
- Search emails
- Release emails to send externally
- API for automation
Pricing
- Open Source
- Free
Pros
Easy to setup and use
Free and open source
Good for testing email in dev environments
Prevents accidentally sending test emails externally
Cons
Limited features compared to full email services
Not suitable for production use
Requires running a separate service just for email testing
Official Links
The Best MailHog Alternatives
Top Development and Testing and other similar apps like MailHog
Here are some alternatives to MailHog:
Suggest an alternative ❐
Postfix
Postfix is a popular open source Mail Transfer Agent (MTA) that routes and delivers email. It is commonly used for sending and receiving email from servers. Postfix was developed as a fast, easy to administer, and secure alternative to the widely-used Sendmail program.Some key features and highlights of Postfix include:High...
Mailtrap
Mailtrap is an easy-to-use fake SMTP server and API for testing email notifications without sending them to real people. It provides a fake SMTP server along with a web interface and API that allows developers to test and view emails their application is sending without delivering them to actual email...
FakeSMTP
FakeSMTP is a free, open source SMTP test server written in Java that allows software developers to test sending emails from their applications without actually sending the messages over the internet through a real SMTP server.Some key features of FakeSMTP include:Lightweight and easy to install - just a single .jar...
Gmailnator (Emailnator)
Gmailnator (Emailnator) is a free disposable or temporary email service that allows users to generate anonymous and temporary email addresses. Users can use these email addresses to sign up for online services, mailing lists, and other purposes without revealing their real email address.Some key features of Gmailnator include:Ability to generate...
LunaticSMTP
LunaticSMTP is an open-source, lightweight SMTP server developed specifically for Windows platforms. It allows Windows applications to send email directly through SMTP without needing additional email libraries.Some key features of LunaticSMTP include:Small footprint - under 1MB install sizeNo dependencies - works right out of the boxSupports SMTP and ESMTPCompatible with...
Papercut
Papercut is a leading print management software used by thousands of schools, colleges, businesses, libraries, and enterprise organizations. It helps IT administrators gain control over printing environments and reduce wasteful printing by setting print rules and quotas and providing convenient tools for user account tracking, billing, and reporting.Key features of...
MailCatcher
MailCatcher is an open source email testing tool used by developers to test and debug email sending in web applications during development. It runs a simple SMTP server on localhost along with a web interface to display messages sent by your application.When your application sends an email, MailCatcher will catch...
Origami SMTP
Origami SMTP is an email deliverability platform built to help email marketers perfect their email campaigns. It allows you to:Send test emails to check deliverability before sending large volumesGet detailed analytics on opens, clicks, bounces, spam test results, and more to optimize campaignsAnalyze and improve sender reputation with ISP feedback...
DummySMTP
DummySMTP is a free, open source SMTP server designed for developers to test email sending and receiving in applications without sending actual emails over the internet. It runs locally and simulates an SMTP server, catching emails sent to it and making them available for viewing rather than sending them out.Key...
Mailocal
Mailocal is an open-source email service launched in 2019 that focuses on providing robust privacy and security features for its users. It is designed as an alternative to popular commercial options like Gmail or Outlook in response to growing demand for email services that do more to protect user data.Some...
Mailpit
Mailpit is an open-source, privacy-focused email client for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It was created by developers and privacy advocates who were concerned about email privacy issues like tracking and data collection.Some of the key features of Mailpit include:End-to-end encryption - Emails are encrypted between the sender and recipient using...
MailDev
MailDev is an open source email testing and debugging tool for developers. It runs a local SMTP server and web interface that allows developers to intercept emails sent from web apps or other services, without actually sending them over the internet.Some key features of MailDev include:Catches emails sent from any...
Debug Mail
Debug Mail is an email testing and debugging application designed to help developers build and test email features in their software without actually sending emails. It works by providing a mock SMTP server that captures any email sent to it from the application being developed.Some key features and benefits of...
Mailosaur
Mailosaur is an email testing and automation platform designed specifically for developers and testers. It allows you to programmatically test and monitor the email output of your web applications by providing a unique email address to send emails to.Some key features of Mailosaur include:Catch and view emails sent to your...
Ethereal Email
Ethereal Email is an open-source, self-hosted email server software designed to give users complete ownership and control over their email communications and data. As an ethical, private, and secure email solution, Ethereal Email allows you to take back control of your inbox rather than relying on large tech companies.By self-hosting...
MailSpons
MailSpons is a powerful email marketing and automation platform used by over 250,000 businesses worldwide. It makes it easy for companies to design email campaigns, automate workflows, integrate with other software, analyze results, and more.With MailSpons, you can quickly build and send email newsletters, promotions, surveys, and other types of...
Testmail.app
testmail.app is a handy email testing application designed specifically for macOS. It provides a simple interface that allows you to compose, send, and receive test emails entirely on your local machine without needing to connect to an email server.Some key features of testmail.app include:Compose test emails with attachmentsSend emails to...
Lettre
Lettre is an open-source newsletter application designed for individuals and businesses who want to create and manage their email newsletters with ease. With Lettre, you can:Design beautiful newsletters using the built-in drag-and-drop editorChoose from a variety of professionally designed templatesEasily customize colors, fonts, layouts, and imagesIntegrate with email service providers...
Go-Guerrilla
Go-Guerrilla is an open source email delivery platform written in Go. It is designed to provide a lightweight, simple alternative to larger commercial solutions like SendGrid or Mailgun.Some key features of Go-Guerrilla include:Simple JSON API for sending emailSupport for SPF, DKIM, and DMARCBuilt-in throttling and reputation monitoringEasy integration with applications...
Inbucket
Inbucket is an open source email testing tool designed for software developers and testers. It acts as a fake SMTP server, allowing developers to send test emails to it during development which Inbucket captures and stores for later inspection.Some key features of Inbucket include:Captures any email sent to it via...
SMTP Bucket
SMTP Bucket is an email testing and debugging software that enables developers, testers, and IT teams to capture, inspect, and debug outbound email from applications or email clients without needing to send emails to real users.It works by providing a fake, customizable SMTP server that email clients can connect to...
Mailnest
Mailnest is an email productivity platform designed to help individuals and teams manage high email volumes more efficiently. Its key features include:Mail Merge - Send personalized mass emails by merging contact details from CSV files/databases.Email Scheduling - Schedule emails to be sent at a later, more optimal time.Follow-Up Reminders -...
