Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Sendmail VS OpenSMTPD

Compare Sendmail VS OpenSMTPD and see what are their differences

Sendmail logo Sendmail

Sendmail is a general purpose internetwork email routing facility that supports many kinds of...

OpenSMTPD logo OpenSMTPD

OpenSMTPD is a FREE implementation of the server-side SMTP protocol as defined by RFC 5321, with...
  • Sendmail Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-11
  • OpenSMTPD Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-05

Sendmail features and specs

  • Established Reputation
    Sendmail has been in operation since the early days of email, providing a solid foundation and reliability in Unix-based email systems. Its long-standing presence indicates a mature and well-understood system.
  • Highly Configurable
    Sendmail offers extensive configuration options, allowing administrators to customize their setup to accommodate complex email routing and handling requirements.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source software, Sendmail offers transparency in its operations, enabling community contributions and adaptations to specific needs without licensing costs.
  • Wide Compatibility
    Sendmail is compatible with a variety of email standards and protocols, which facilitates integration with different email systems and services.

Possible disadvantages of Sendmail

  • Complex Configuration
    The extensive configurability of Sendmail comes at the cost of a steep learning curve; its configuration files are complex and can be challenging for beginners.
  • Security Concerns
    Historically, Sendmail has had several vulnerabilities, partly due to its complexity and pervasive use. It requires diligent updates and security management.
  • Less User-Friendly
    Compared to more modern solutions, Sendmail lacks a user-friendly interface, making it harder for less technically inclined users to manage and configure.
  • Performance Limitations
    Sendmail can be less efficient than some modern mail transfer agents in terms of resource usage and performance, especially in high-volume environments.

OpenSMTPD features and specs

  • Simplicity
    OpenSMTPD is designed to be simple and straightforward, which makes it easier to configure and manage compared to other mail transfer agents. Its configuration syntax is clean and readable.
  • Security-focused
    One of the main goals of OpenSMTPD is to provide a secure mail transfer agent. It is developed by the OpenBSD team, which is known for its emphasis on security.
  • Lightweight
    OpenSMTPD is a lightweight solution, using minimal system resources, making it suitable for systems with lower hardware capabilities or for those looking to optimize performance.
  • Integration with OpenBSD
    As a project developed by the OpenBSD team, OpenSMTPD integrates well with OpenBSD, taking advantage of the system's security features and optimizations.
  • Active Community
    OpenSMTPD has an active development community, which provides timely updates, patches, and support, helping to keep the software secure and reliable.

Possible disadvantages of OpenSMTPD

  • Feature Limitation
    Compared to more established mail servers like Postfix or Exim, OpenSMTPD may lack some advanced features or integrations that larger enterprises might require.
  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation for OpenSMTPD, while improving, is not as comprehensive as that for more widely-used MTAs, which can create a steeper learning curve for new administrators.
  • Less Third-Party Support
    Due to its lesser adoption compared to other MTAs, there might be fewer third-party tools, plugins, and resources available for extending OpenSMTPD's capabilities.
  • Platform Specific Optimization
    While its integration with OpenBSD is a strength, it may not be as optimized for other operating systems, possibly leading to a less efficient experience outside the BSD ecosystem.
  • Community-Centric Development
    Being a smaller, community-driven project, OpenSMTPD may not offer the same level of support or development resources as more commercially backed mail server solutions.

Sendmail videos

breve configuracion de sendmail

OpenSMTPD videos

DAY[0] Episode #31 - kr00k, GhostCat, and more issues from NordVPN, Samsung, OpenSMTPd

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Sendmail and OpenSMTPD)
Email
63 63%
37% 37
SMTP Server
55 55%
45% 45
MTA
51 51%
49% 49
Email Clients
74 74%
26% 26

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Sendmail and OpenSMTPD

Sendmail Reviews

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OpenSMTPD Reviews

Best Free and Open Source Alternatives to Microsoft Exchange Server
OpenSMTPD is an implementation of the server-side SMTP protocol, with some additional standard extensions. Its design goals include security, reliability, ease of configuration, and support for common use cases.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, OpenSMTPD should be more popular than Sendmail. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Sendmail mentions (1)

  • Sendmail and Exchange online - 550 5.1.10 RESOLVER.ADR.RecipientNotFound; Recipient not found by SMTP address lookup
    We are using sendmail and Exchange online with to different identies. We are experience problem that we want to receive Teams invitation to our @ sendmail.com address, when I forward teams invitation fromexchange online identite to "sendemail" identetie we are getting error. Source: about 4 years ago

OpenSMTPD mentions (2)

  • Has anyone setup a Linux based internal only smtp relay?
    I've had something of the same experience with Postfix, u/0x29aNull. Check out OpenSMTPD. It is lightweight and standards compliant. I know that there are packages for Debian and Alpine Linux. There may also be ones for Fedora/RHEL derivatives. I use it in my environment on OpenBSD. Source: about 2 years ago
  • DKIM Migration: Rpamd instead of DKIMproxy out on OpenBSD / OpenSMTPD
    When I installed Rspamd with on OpenBSD / OpenSMTPD the other day, DKIMProxy out (dkimproxy_out daemon), which had been got via OpenBSD Ports package system, was used to add DKIM signatures to mails in order to improve security on emails. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Sendmail and OpenSMTPD, you can also consider the following products

Postfix - Postfix is a mail transfer agent (MTA) that routes and delivers electronic mail.

sSMTP - sSMTP is a simple MTA to deliver mail from a computer to a mail server.

Exim - Exim is a message transfer agent (MTA) developed at the University of Cambridge for use on Unix systems connected to the Internet.

msmtp - msmtp is an SMTP client.

Zimbra - Zimbra is trusted by over 500 million users to increase productivity with a complete set of collaboration tools while maintaining total control over security and privacy.

sendEmail - sendEmail is a lightweight, command line SMTP email client.