Keila vs phpList
Both are alternatives to Mailchimp. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as phpList vs Keila — same comparison, one verdict.
Keila and phpList are closely matched on ownership (88 vs 82) — this one comes down to pricing and to which trade-offs below you can live with.
Keila
Simple, privacy-friendly open-source newsletter tool.
Keila is an open-source newsletter application built in Elixir/Phoenix, designed to be a straightforward, privacy-conscious way to send campaigns and manage subscribers. It supports segmentation, templates, a form builder, and sending through providers like Amazon SES, Mailgun, Postmark, or plain SMTP. It is aimed at creators, small organizations, and anyone who wants a clean self-hosted newsletter tool without the complexity of a full marketing-automation suite; a paid managed cloud is also offered by its maintainers for those who prefer not to self-host.
phpList
Long-standing open-source newsletter manager for large lists.
phpList is one of the longest-running open-source newsletter applications (PHP/MySQL), built specifically for sending campaigns to large subscriber lists. It supports list management, segmentation, templates, bounce handling, and detailed sending controls, and works with any SMTP provider. It suits organizations and nonprofits that want a proven, no-frills self-hosted newsletter system and don't mind an interface that feels more utilitarian than modern SaaS tools; a paid hosted version is also available from the phpList team.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Keila | phpList | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 88 | 82 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Pricing | Free / self-host; optional paid managed cloud from the maintainers | Free / self-host; optional paid hosted plans from phpList |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 1–2 GB for Keila and PostgreSQL together. This is an estimate from the 512 MB app limit Cloudron uses plus a small database; Keila publishes no sizing of its own. | 1–2 GB on a VPS for phpList with MySQL. A long-time phpList forum helper called a 2 GB VPS fine for slower sending, with more RAM needed as the database grows. |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, plus a sending service: Amazon SES is $0.10 per 1,000 emails | $6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, plus an SMTP relay: Amazon SES is $0.10 per 1,000 emails |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | An hour with Docker, plus DNS (SPF/DKIM) and sender setup at your email provider | 1–2 hours on a LAMP host; longer to set up the bounce mailbox and SPF/DKIM for your relay |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Low. Pull the new image when a release lands (releases came in May, June and September 2026; the project is still pre-1.0) and keep your sender's domain authentication and bounce handling healthy. | Two cron jobs (the queue every 5 minutes, bounces daily), a dedicated bounce mailbox set in config.php, send-rate settings matched to your relay's limits, and upgrades by replacing files and running the database upgrade. |
Keila edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Weighing both against staying on Mailchimp? Is Mailchimp free? What it actually costs →
Keila
Strengths
- +Clean, focused UI that is quick to learn for non-technical senders
- +Bring your own sending provider (SES, Mailgun, Postmark, SMTP)
- +GDPR-conscious design with double opt-in and self-owned subscriber data
- +Docker-based deployment and an optional hosted cloud if you don't want to self-host
Trade-offs
- −Smaller project and community than listmonk or Mautic
- −Fewer advanced automation and reporting features than heavyweight platforms
- −You still handle deliverability and an external sending provider when self-hosting
- −AGPL-3.0 network-copyleft obligations apply to modified network deployments
phpList
Strengths
- +Mature, battle-tested project focused squarely on sending to large lists
- +Solid bounce handling and fine-grained sending/throttling controls
- +Runs on a common PHP/MySQL stack that most shared hosts support
- +Self-hosted with full ownership of subscriber data
Trade-offs
- −Interface and workflows feel dated compared with modern tools
- −Limited built-in automation and visual journey building
- −You manage deliverability, an SMTP path, and PHP/MySQL upkeep yourself
- −Smaller active contributor base than the largest projects in this space
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Keila
if a lower exit cost matters more to you than any single feature, and clean, focused UI that is quick to learn for non-technical senders.
Choose phpList
if mature, battle-tested project focused squarely on sending to large lists.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — smaller project and community than listmonk or Mautic, and interface and workflows feel dated compared with modern tools. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Self-hosting Keila
1–2 GB for Keila and PostgreSQL together. This is an estimate from the 512 MB app limit Cloudron uses plus a small database; Keila publishes no sizing of its own. RAM · An hour with Docker, plus DNS (SPF/DKIM) and sender setup at your email provider
$6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, plus a sending service: Amazon SES is $0.10 per 1,000 emails
Self-hosting phpList
1–2 GB on a VPS for phpList with MySQL. A long-time phpList forum helper called a 2 GB VPS fine for slower sending, with more RAM needed as the database grows. RAM · 1–2 hours on a LAMP host; longer to set up the bounce mailbox and SPF/DKIM for your relay
$6–12/mo on a 1–2 GB VPS, plus an SMTP relay: Amazon SES is $0.10 per 1,000 emails
Keila vs phpList — common questions
Is Keila a better fit than phpList for email marketing & newsletters?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Keila scores 88 to phpList's 82 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. phpList earns its place on a different axis — mature, battle-tested project focused squarely on sending to large lists. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Keila keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. phpList is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Keila or phpList?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Keila and phpList both alternatives to Mailchimp?
Yes — both appear in our Mailchimp comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Mailchimp and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
More Mailchimp head-to-heads
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Facts verified 2026-07-07. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.