Mailflare review
A low-cost open-source inbox with shared mailboxes, routing, and self-hosting.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Mailflare is an open-source, self-hosted email inbox for individuals and teams managing custom domains. It provides webmail for sending and receiving messages with attachments, plus search, folders, stars, snoozing, routing rules, spam filtering, two-factor authentication, backups, import and export, API access, and webhooks. Its strongest fit is for organizations that want control over their email environment and a shared inbox without committing to recurring software subscriptions.
The pricing structure is unusually straightforward. Community Edition is free forever and includes custom-domain setup with DKIM, SPF, and MX, scheduled mailbox backups, data export, Docker self-hosting, and the full send-and-receive webmail interface. The Professional edition is a $39 one-time license and adds a custom brand name, logo, and favicon. The $399 one-time Team edition adds unlimited team member accounts and shared mailboxes with role permissions. Cloudflare usage may incur separate charges, so the software license is not necessarily the complete operating cost.
Mailflare’s main differentiator is the combination of delegated shared mailboxes, routing rules, and self-hosting. Teams can store, forward, reject, or organize mail through rules, while API and webhook support extend the product into custom workflows. It can run on Cloudflare Workers or in Docker, with integrations including Cloudflare Email Routing, Cloudflare D1, Cloudflare R2, and SMTP. Choose Mailflare if open-source control, one-time licensing, and team mailbox permissions matter more than a managed service experience. Organizations seeking first-party mobile apps or minimal infrastructure responsibility should consider a different email hosting approach.
Mailflare pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Free Community Edition with custom-domain email and backups
- Team plan adds unlimited accounts and role-based shared mailboxes
- API, webhooks, Docker, and Cloudflare deployment options
- Where it doesn't
- Self-hosting requires infrastructure and operational responsibility
- Mobile access relies on third-party apps
- Cloudflare usage may add separate charges
Mailflare fact sheet, pricing and score →
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update