NortixMail: A Self-Hosted Disposable Email Server That’s Actually Easy to Set Up

Why Bother With Disposable Emails?

Ever signed up for a sketchy service and immediately regretted handing over your real email? Or worse—watched your inbox drown in spam after a data breach? That’s where disposable email services come in. But most require trusting a third party… or wrestling with a nightmare email server setup.

NortixMail changes that. It’s an open-source, self-hostable disposable email server designed for developers who value privacy but don’t want to spend hours configuring Postfix.

What It Does

NortixMail lets you spin up a lightweight SMTP server that:

• Generates throwaway email addresses on the fly (e.g., [email protected]).
• Stores emails temporarily (no persistence unless you want it).
• Provides a clean web interface to view incoming messages.
• Works with or without TLS (though encryption is recommended).

Think of it as your own private Mailinator, but self-hosted and without the ads.

Why It’s Cool

1. Zero Hassle Setup

Most self-hosted email servers are a pain to configure. NortixMail cuts the complexity:

• Automatic domain detection (no manual DNS tweaking).
• TLS setup is optional—just drop your certs in a folder.
• Data is portable (just copy the data directory).

2. Docker-Friendly

A single docker-compose up -d gets you a working instance. No wrestling with postfix or dovecot.

3. Privacy-First

Since you control the server, there’s no middleman logging your emails. Great for:

• Testing new services without spam.
• Signing up for one-time downloads.
• Avoiding email leaks in breaches.

How to Try It

Option 1: Docker (Recommended)

git clone https://github.com/Zhoros/NortixMail.git
cd NortixMail
docker compose up -d

Your server will be live at http://localhost (port 80) and listen for emails on port 25.

Option 2: Manual Setup

npm install && cd front && npm install && npm run build && cd .. && node main.js

For TLS, drop your .crt and .key files into the data folder—no config tweaks needed.

Final Thoughts

NortixMail isn’t trying to replace Gmail, and it’s not for high-volume email workflows. But for privacy-conscious devs who need a quick way to dodge spam or test services, it’s a gem. The fact that it’s lightweight, Docker-ready, and doesn’t require a PhD in email protocols makes it a standout in the self-hosted email space.

If you’re tired of burner email services with sketchy privacy policies, give it a spin. And hey—if you like it, don’t forget to ⭐ the repo.

Got a use case? Drop it in the comments—I’m curious how others would use this! 🚀