Postfix

Fast, easy to administer, and secure mail server

About Postfix

Postfix is a widely used open-source mail transfer agent created by Wietse Venema as an alternative to Sendmail. It aims to be fast, easy to administer, and secure while retaining a familiar Sendmail-like exterior. Postfix runs on most UNIX-like systems including Linux, BSD, and macOS, and is distributed both as source and through operating system and appliance vendors worldwide.

Postfix website preview

Live preview of postfix.org via the WordPress mShots service — it can take a few seconds to generate on a first visit.

Postfix: strengths & things to check

Strengths

Completely free to use — this directory lists no paid plan for it.
Covers email, smtp, mail server, self hosted, open source — see the focus areas listed in its key facts.
Has 6 close alternatives in the same category on this page, so switching or comparing is easy.

Things to check

Free tools can change their model or shut down — avoid locking critical work into it without an export path.
Current plan prices are not listed here (they change too often to print reliably) — confirm the exact price on the official site.
It is one of 565 tools in the Communication & Collaboration category here — compare it against the alternatives below before you commit.

Derived from this listing's own data (pricing model, focus areas and category) — not a hands-on review score.

Postfix pricing

Pricing model	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Free access	Yes — fully free
Current plan prices	Listed on the official site — prices change, so this directory links out instead of printing a number that may already be stale.
Official site	postfix.org

Postfix key facts

Category: Communication & Collaboration
Pricing: Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas: email, smtp, mail server, self hosted, open source
Official site: postfix.org

Postfix FAQ

How much does Postfix cost?

Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it. Current plans and prices are listed on the official site (postfix.org).

What is Postfix used for?

Fast, easy to administer, and secure mail server Its focus areas in the Communication & Collaboration category: email, smtp, mail server, self hosted, open source.

Where can I try Postfix?

On its official site, postfix.org — the Visit Official Site button above goes straight there.

Postfix vs alternatives

	Postfix	Dovecot	EmailRelay	iRedMail
Pricing	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Freemium — a free tier lets you start, and paid plans are available if you need more.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.	Free — listed in this directory as a free tool, with no paid plan required to use it.
Focus areas	email, smtp, mail server, self hosted, open source	email, imap, mail server, self hosted, open source	email, smtp, mail server, self hosted	mail server, email, self hosted, open source
Official site	postfix.org	dovecot.org	emailrelay.sourceforge.net	iredmail.org
Directory status	Listed	Listed	Listed	Listed

Side-by-side from each listing's own directory data. Full alternative cards are below.

About the Communication & Collaboration category

Chat, video meetings, and messaging apps that keep teams connected. The Communication & Collaboration category on Tools Hub currently lists 565 tools. Alongside Postfix, it includes Postorius, Cypht, Ergo, Elgg.

FreeCommunication & Collaborationemailsmtpmail-serverself-hostedopen-source

Alternatives to Postfix

Tools in the same Communication & Collaboration category that share focus areas with Postfix — worth comparing before you commit:

Communication & Collaboration

Dovecot

The secure, high performance email server

Freemiumemailimapmail-serverself-hosted

Communication & Collaboration

EmailRelay

Lightweight SMTP store-and-forward mail server with POP access

Freeemailsmtpmail-serverself-hosted

Communication & Collaboration

iRedMail

Full-featured open-source mail server solution based on Postfix and Dovecot

Freemail-serveremailself-hostedopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

mailcow: dockerized

The mailserver suite with the 'moo'

Freeemailmail-serverself-hostedopen-source

Communication & Collaboration

Mox

Modern, secure, all-in-one open-source mail server

Freemail-serverself-hostedopen-sourceemail

Communication & Collaboration

chasquid

An SMTP server focused on simplicity, security and ease of operation

Freeemailsmtpmail-servergo

More in Communication & Collaboration

Comparing tools in the Communication & Collaboration category? These related listings are worth a look: Postorius — Web user interface for GNU Mailman mailing lists; Cypht — All your email, from all your accounts, in one place; Ergo — Modern IRC server software for communities.