🩺 Vitals
- 📦 Version: v4.9 (Released 2025-12-11)
- 🚀 Velocity: Active (Last commit 2025-12-30)
- 🌟 Community: 13.4k Stars · 1.4k Forks
- 🐞 Backlog: 212 Open Issues
🏗️ Profile
- Official: billionmail.com
- Source: github.com/Billionmail/BillionMail
- License: AGPL-3.0
- Deployment: Docker / Native Binary
- Data Model: MySQL / SQLite
- Jurisdiction: Hong Kong 🇭🇰 (Gov. Law: PRC 🇨🇳)
- Compliance: None (Self-Hosted) / AI Risk ⚠️
- Complexity: High (4/5) - MTA Management, DNS, Reputation
- Maintenance: Medium (3/5) - Single Binary, Auto-Updates
- Enterprise Ready: Low (2/5) - No RBAC, Legal Uncertainty
1. The Executive Summary
What is it? BillionMail is a distinct entry in the email marketing space. Unlike most "senders" that rely on a third-party SMTP service (like Amazon SES), BillionMail includes its own Mail Transfer Agent (MTA). It is a full-stack email solution: it designs the email, manages the contact list, AND handles the actual transmission of data over Port 25.
The Strategic Verdict:
- 🔴 Governance Risk: The vendor is a Hong Kong entity (aaPanel Ltd) with a license explicitly governed by the laws of the People's Republic of China (PRC). For enterprises with strict data sovereignty mandates, this is a critical disqualifier.
- 🔴 Privacy Risk: The "AI Powered" features likely transmit content data to third-party APIs or the vendor's cloud proxy. This creates a data leak vector not covered by the "self-hosted" promise.
- 🟢 Cost Efficiency: For affiliate marketers or high-volume senders who can manage their own IP reputation, this removes the "CPM" (Cost Per Mille) pricing of SaaS tools entirely.
2. The "Hidden" Costs (TCO Analysis)
| Cost Component | SaaS (Mailchimp/Brevo) | BillionMail (Self-Hosted) |
|---|---|---|
| Sending Cost | High ($300+/mo for 50k emails) | $0 (Direct Send) |
| IP Reputation | Included (Shared IPs) | Your Responsibility (Crucial) |
| Infrastructure | $0 (Cloud) | $10-20/mo (VPS) |
| Legal Risk | Standard Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) | Governing Law: PRC |
3. The "Day 2" Reality Check
🚀 Deployment & Operations
- The MTA Trap: Hosting your own MTA is technically "free" but operationally expensive. You must manually manage SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records. If your server's IP address gets blacklisted (e.g., by Spamhaus), your delivery rate drops to zero, and there is no support team to fix it.
- Installation: The Go-based architecture makes deployment relatively simple compared to PHP-based stacks, but the network configuration (Port 25 unblocking) is a common hurdle with cloud providers (AWS/GCP block Port 25 by default).
🛡️ Security & Governance
- Data Sovereignty: While the database sits on your server, the legal framework governing the software license sits in China. Disputes or IP claims would be adjudicated in PRC courts.
- AI Features: Disable the "AI Writer" features if you are handling sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Information). There is no transparency on where that prompt data is sent or stored.
4. Market Landscape
🏢 Proprietary Incumbents
- Mailchimp
- SendGrid (Marketing Campaigns)
- Brevo (formerly Sendinblue)