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How to run your own mailing list with Listmonk

Most newsletter platforms charge by subscriber count — which means growth costs you money. Listmonk is a self-hosted mailing-list and newsletter manager: you run it on your own server and pay for the server, not per subscriber.

What Listmonk is

A fast, single-binary newsletter and mailing-list manager (with PostgreSQL behind it). It handles subscriber lists, campaigns, templates, and tracking — the core of what a newsletter platform does, without the per-subscriber model.

What it does

  • Lists and subscribers — import via CSV, manage segments, handle opt-outs.

  • Campaigns — write and send newsletters to a list or segment.

  • Templates — reusable HTML templates for consistent branding.

  • Bounce and complaint handling — keeps your list clean automatically.

  • A clean admin UI and an API for automation.

Why self-host it

  • No per-subscriber pricing. Your bill is a server cost, whether you have 100 subscribers or 100,000.

  • Your list stays yours. Subscriber data never sits in a platform's database.

  • Full control of sending — connect it to the SMTP provider or mail setup you choose.

The one thing that matters: deliverability

A mailing list is only useful if the mail lands in the inbox. That means:

  1. Authenticate your domain with SPF, DKIM and DMARC — non-negotiable. See Email DNS: SPF, DKIM and DMARC.

  2. Send through a reputable SMTP relay — many self-hosters use a transactional provider as the relay even while running Listmonk themselves. Running bulk mail from a fresh VPS IP is the fastest way to land in spam.

  3. Warm up gradually and keep the list clean (remove hard bounces, honour opt-outs instantly).

  4. Include one-click unsubscribe so complaints stay low.

How to get running

  1. A 2 vCPU, 2 GB VPS with PostgreSQL, on a domain with TLS.

  2. Deploy the official Listmonk Docker image (it bundles the app and expects Postgres).

  3. Configure SMTP — point it at your relay or mail server.

  4. Import your subscribers (with proof of consent) and send a small test campaign to yourself.

  5. Verify SPF/DKIM/DMARC with the TXT record checker and the List-Unsubscribe checker before your first real send.

Specs: /app-hosting/listmonk, and the KB walkthrough Self-host Listmonk.

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