Self-host Listmonk.
Own your audience.
Listmonk is the open-source Mailchimp alternative — a self-hosted newsletter and email-marketing app with lists, campaigns, templates, subscriber analytics and a full API. Deploy it on VibeNest in one click with managed Postgres and free SSL. Kill the per-contact bill and keep your list on infrastructure you control.
What is Listmonk?
Listmonk is a free, open-source newsletter and mailing-list manager — the self-hosted, open-source Mailchimp alternative, and a drop-in for Sendgrid Marketing or ConvertKit. It’s a single fast Go application: import millions of subscribers, segment them with SQL-style queries, build campaigns with a rich editor, track opens and clicks, and drive it all through a REST API. The catch with the SaaS versions is the bill: Mailchimp and friends charge per contact, every month, forever. Self-hosting Listmonk on VibeNest turns that into one predictable hosting cost — and your subscriber list lives in a database you own.
- →Own your audience. Your subscribers and campaign data sit in your own managed Postgres — not locked inside a vendor’s dashboard.
- →No per-contact pricing. Pay flat hosting, not a tax that grows with every signup. A 50k-subscriber list costs the same to host as a 500-subscriber one.
- →Full-featured. Lists, segments, double opt-in, transactional + campaign sending, templates, analytics, multi-user, and a complete REST API.
- →Truly open source. Listmonk is AGPLv3. VibeNest deploys the upstream image unmodified — no lock-in, no proprietary fork.
Deploy Listmonk in three steps
Click deploy
Hit Deploy to VibeNest. We launch the official Listmonk container, attach managed Postgres, run the one-time schema install, and serve it on a branded subdomain with free SSL.
Add your SMTP
In Listmonk’s Settings → SMTP, paste credentials from any provider — Amazon SES, Brevo, Postmark, Mailgun, or Resend’s SMTP relay. This is the one step you bring yourself (see below).
Import & send
Import your existing list (CSV), build a campaign, and send. Your app uses an HTTPS VibeNest subdomain. Review database and storage requirements before deployment.
One honest caveat: bring your own SMTP
Listmonk composes and schedules your email, but it doesn’t run a mail server — nothing does the actual sending until you connect an SMTP provider. That’s by design, and it’s the same for every self-hosted mailer. Sign up with a sending provider (Amazon SES, Brevo, Postmark, Mailgun, or Resend’s SMTP relay at smtp.resend.com:465), then drop those credentials into Listmonk’s SMTP settings. We don’t inject shared sending credentials into your instance — that keeps your sender reputation, deliverability and quotas entirely yours.
Budget for hosting and email delivery separately
One Free server per account, with no credit card and no expiry. Includes 256 MB RAM, 0.5 vCPU and 4 GB storage and an HTTPS VibeNest subdomain. Paid hardware plans start at $7.00 per month. AI credits and optional services are separate.
Listmonk also needs PostgreSQL and an SMTP provider. Choose hardware for your list size and workload, then check your sending provider's fees, quotas and deliverability requirements. A hosting subscription alone does not cover email delivery.
Everything VibeNest handles for you
Managed Postgres
Listmonk needs Postgres. We provision it, inject the connection, and run the one-time schema install — your subscriber data persists across redeploys.
Free SSL + subdomain
Live on your-app.vibenest.net with HTTPS the moment it deploys. Self-service custom domains are not available yet.
AI deploy rescue
AI Deploy Rescue reads build and runtime evidence, explains a likely cause, and suggests a next step. Supported fixes can be reviewed before applying them. Missing secrets and application code changes may still need your input. Platform-triggered AI Deploy Rescue is paid for by VibeNest. Other AI tools can use credits; check the displayed cost before running them.
Predictable pricing
One Free server per account, with no credit card and no expiry. Includes 256 MB RAM, 0.5 vCPU and 4 GB storage and an HTTPS VibeNest subdomain. Paid hardware plans start at $7.00 per month. AI credits and optional services are separate. Sending fees depend on your SMTP provider.
Upstream & unmodified
We run the official listmonk/listmonk image as-is. You get upstream updates and zero proprietary lock-in.
Your data, exportable
It’s your Postgres and your Listmonk — export subscribers and campaigns, or move the whole thing, anytime.
Want to deploy something else?
VibeNest hosts compatible applications from GitHub — not just Listmonk. Connect a repo and review its deployment requirements, or read about the broader vibe deploy platform for apps from Cursor, Lovable, Bolt and Claude Code. Browse what others have shipped on the showcase.
Frequently asked questions
Is Listmonk a free Mailchimp alternative? +
Yes. Listmonk is free, open-source (AGPLv3) software that covers the core of what Mailchimp does — lists, segments, campaigns, templates, subscriber analytics and a full API. You self-host it instead of paying per contact. On VibeNest you deploy it in one click with managed Postgres and free SSL.
Do I need my own email provider to send? +
Yes — that's the one part you bring. Listmonk doesn't run a mail server; you connect an SMTP provider (Amazon SES, Brevo, Postmark, Mailgun, or Resend's SMTP relay) in Listmonk's settings. This keeps your sender reputation and deliverability fully under your control. VibeNest never injects shared sending credentials into your instance.
How much does it cost to host Listmonk? +
One Free server per account, with no credit card and no expiry. Includes 256 MB RAM, 0.5 vCPU and 4 GB storage and an HTTPS VibeNest subdomain. Paid hardware plans start at $7.00 per month. AI credits and optional services are separate. Listmonk also requires an SMTP provider with separate pricing and sending limits.
Does VibeNest modify Listmonk? +
No. We deploy the official listmonk/listmonk container image upstream and unmodified, so you get genuine open-source Listmonk with normal upstream updates and no proprietary lock-in.
Where does my subscriber data live? +
In your own managed Postgres database, provisioned for your instance. You own it, it persists across redeploys, and you can export your subscribers and campaigns at any time.
Own your newsletter in one click
One Free server per account, with no expiry. Managed Postgres and SSL included.