Free email for open source projects
Open source maintainers shouldn't have to worry about deliverability. We give qualifying projects our Pro plan for free: 50,000 transactional emails per month via SMTP or HTTP API, with extra volume for the projects that need it. Approval typically takes two business days.
Program active in 2026 · No credit card required
Program at a glance
- Cost
- $0 per month
- Included volume
- 50,000 emails per month
- Channels
- SMTP relay and HTTP API
- Domains
- Unlimited verified domains
- Eligibility
- Public repo, OSI license, active, non-commercial
- Approval time
- Typically two business days
- Higher volume
- Available on request
- Credit card
- Not required
What's included in the free plan
- 50,000 emails per month included
- Additional volume available for larger projects
- Unlimited verified domains
- SMTP relay and HTTP API access
- Inbound email routing and webhooks
- Premium IP pool with managed reputation
- DKIM, SPF, DMARC and TLS
- Detailed delivery analytics and logs
Running something bigger? Tell us about it. We regularly increase volume for larger projects on a case-by-case basis.
Who qualifies for free email sending
Public source repository
Your project is hosted publicly on GitHub, GitLab, Codeberg, or a similar platform with the source code openly available.
OSI-approved license
The project uses an OSI-approved open source license such as MIT, Apache 2.0, BSD, GPL, MPL, or AGPL.
Active development
The project has recent commits and is actively maintained. We're looking for living projects, not archived ones.
Verified maintainership
Apply from an email that's already linked to the project, such as an address in your commit history, README, or package metadata. This lets us confirm you maintain the project before we approve.
Non-commercial sending
Email sending is for the open source project itself, such as account verification, password resets, or community notifications. Not for a commercial product built on top of the project.
How to apply for sponsorship
Get in touch
Apply for open source email sponsorship through our contact form. Include the repository URL, the license, what you'll be sending, and a rough estimate of monthly volume. Apply from an email that's already linked to the project so we can verify maintainership.
We review the project
We take a look at the repo, license, and use case. Most reviews come back within a couple of business days.
Get sending
Once approved, we upgrade your account and you can start sending. If you outgrow the included volume, ping us and we'll discuss bumping it up.
Frequently asked questions
What is JetEmail's open source program?
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JetEmail's open source program is a sponsorship that gives qualifying open source projects 50,000 transactional emails per month at no cost, including SMTP and HTTP API access, unlimited verified domains, and the same premium IP pool as paying customers. Approval typically takes two business days. Higher volume is available on request for larger projects.
Is JetEmail really free for open source projects?
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Yes. Qualifying open source projects get our Pro plan (normally $10/month) at no cost, including 50,000 emails per month, unlimited domains, and full SMTP and API access. There is no trial period and no credit card required.
What types of email can I send from my open source project?
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Anything tied to the open source project itself. We don't restrict by message type as long as the sending is for the project and meets our standard acceptable use policy.
What if my project needs more than 50,000 emails per month?
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Reach out and tell us about it. We regularly increase the included volume for larger projects on a case-by-case basis. Send us your usage estimates and we'll work something out.
How do you verify I maintain the project?
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We match the email you apply from against addresses already linked to the project: commit author emails, the package metadata (package.json, pyproject.toml, Cargo.toml, etc.), the repo's README contact, or the GitHub or GitLab account owner. If that doesn't line up, get in touch and we'll work out another way to confirm.
Does the free Pro plan include both SMTP and the HTTP API?
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Yes. You get the same SMTP relay endpoints and HTTP API access as paying customers, with the same premium IP pool and the same managed deliverability.