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MailHog vs HELO: catalog facts
MailHog	HELO
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Paid Sold as a paid desktop application.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	macOS
Single Go binary that runs without installation Web UI and API for inspecting captured mail	Local SMTP server that catches mail before it reaches real users Automatic broken link check
Little development activity; last commit in early 2024 Intended for testing, not for delivering production mail	Paid only Laravel Herd Pro now includes its own email testing tool, which overlaps for PHP users
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.