Listmonk: Self-Hosted Newsletter and Mailing List Manager — Free Mailchimp Alternative

TL;DR — Quick Summary

Deploy Listmonk for self-hosted newsletters via Docker. High-performance Go app with templating, analytics, multi-list support, and no subscriber limits.

What Is Listmonk?

Listmonk is a high-performance, self-hosted newsletter and mailing list manager. No subscriber limits, no monthly fees — just your server, your data, your rules.

Docker Compose

services:
  listmonk:
    image: listmonk/listmonk:latest
    container_name: listmonk
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "9000:9000"
    environment:
      - TZ=UTC
    volumes:
      - ./config.toml:/listmonk/config.toml
    depends_on:
      - db

  db:
    image: postgres:15-alpine
    container_name: listmonk-db
    restart: always
    environment:
      POSTGRES_PASSWORD: listmonk
      POSTGRES_USER: listmonk
      POSTGRES_DB: listmonk
    volumes:
      - listmonk-data:/var/lib/postgresql/data

volumes:
  listmonk-data:

Features

Feature	Description
Multi-list	Unlimited mailing lists and segments
Templates	Rich HTML email templates with Go templating
Analytics	Open rates, click rates, bounce tracking
Import/Export	CSV import/export of subscribers
API	Full REST API for automation
Bounce handling	Automatic bounce processing
Webhooks	Event webhooks for integrations

Listmonk vs Mailchimp

Feature	Listmonk	Mailchimp
Cost	Free (self-hosted)	Free to $350+/mo
Subscribers	Unlimited	500 free, then paid
Data ownership	✅ Your server	❌ Mailchimp’s servers
Branding	✅ No forced branding	Mailchimp badge (free)
API	✅ Full REST	✅ Full REST
Templates	Go templating	Drag & drop
Automation	Basic	Advanced

Guide & Instructions

Estimated Time: 10m

Tools Needed:

Docker and Docker Compose
SMTP credentials (Amazon SES, Mailgun, or self-hosted)

Deploy with Docker Compose

Download docker-compose.yml from listmonk.app, configure SMTP settings, run 'docker compose up -d'.

Run initial setup

Run 'docker compose run --rm app ./listmonk --install' to create the database schema.

Access the admin panel

Open http://localhost:9000. Default login: admin/listmonk.

Configure SMTP

Settings > SMTP. Add your SMTP provider (SES, Mailgun, or self-hosted).

Create a list and send

Create a mailing list, import subscribers, compose a campaign, and send.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Listmonk and why use it over Mailchimp?

Listmonk is a self-hosted, open-source newsletter and mailing list manager written in Go. Unlike Mailchimp, there are no subscriber limits, no monthly fees, no branding restrictions, and your subscriber data stays on your server. It can send millions of emails via any SMTP provider.

How much does Listmonk cost?

Listmonk is completely free and open-source. Your only costs are the server (~$5/mo VPS) and SMTP delivery (Amazon SES: $0.10 per 1,000 emails, or self-hosted SMTP: free).

Can Listmonk handle large mailing lists?

Yes. Listmonk is written in Go and uses PostgreSQL, handling millions of subscribers efficiently. It supports concurrent sending, configurable throughput limits, and batch processing.