How to set up Catapulte with Amazon SES?

The README links to documentation for using Catapulte with Amazon SES; configure SMTP environment variables with SES credentials and endpoints, as it relies on external SMTP servers for sending.

Catapulte vs SendGrid for transactional emails?

Catapulte is better for self-hosting, data privacy, and cost control, but SendGrid offers managed services, advanced features, and better support; choose based on your need for control versus convenience.

Can Catapulte handle marketing email campaigns?

Catapulte is designed for transactional emails, so it lacks features like segmentation, scheduling, and campaign analytics; for marketing, consider dedicated tools or extend it with custom logic.

How to edit MJML templates in Catapulte?

Store MJML files in a local directory mounted in Docker; non-technical users can edit these files using MJML's syntax, and changes are reflected without restarting the service, as shown in the template folder example.

Does Catapulte support email bcc and cc fields?

The README only shows 'to' fields with arrays; bcc/cc support isn't explicitly mentioned, so you may need to check the OpenAPI spec or modify the code if required.

Is Catapulte scalable for high-traffic applications?

It can be scaled horizontally with Docker and load balancing, but performance depends on your SMTP server's limits; for very high volumes, you'll need to optimize both Catapulte and SMTP infrastructure.

catapulte

AGPL-3.0Rustcatapulte-adapter-template-v0.1.0

A self-hosted transactional email service that renders MJML templates and sends via SMTP.

GitHub

What is catapulte?

Catapulte is an open-source, self-hosted mailer designed for sending transactional emails efficiently. It addresses frustrations with commercial email providers by offering a solution that prioritizes speed, data privacy, and ease of template management through MJML-based templates. It operates by rendering templates, interpolating data, and sending emails via an SMTP server.

Target Audience

Development teams in startups or large companies that need a self-hosted, privacy-focused solution for transactional emails, especially those with non-technical team members who need to edit email templates. It is also suitable for organizations restricted by data sovereignty policies or corporate proxies.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Catapulte over commercial providers because it offers full control over infrastructure, ensures data privacy by avoiding external services subject to regulations like the Patriot Act, and simplifies template management with MJML, allowing non-technical colleagues to edit emails without developer intervention.

Overview

Rust implementation of catapulte email sender

Use Cases

Best For

Startups needing a cost-effective, self-hosted transactional email solution without recurring SaaS fees.

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Large companies requiring on-premise email sending to comply with data privacy regulations and avoid external service dependencies.

Teams where non-technical members (e.g., Product Owners) need to frequently edit email templates using an accessible tool like MJML.

Organizations operating behind corporate proxies that block external email services and need an internal mailer.

Developers seeking a lightweight, Docker-deployable service with a simple RESTful API for integrating email functionality into applications.

Projects that require sending emails to multiple recipients in a single API call with support for attachments.

Not Ideal For

Teams requiring built-in email analytics, A/B testing, and detailed delivery reports out of the box.
Organizations that prefer fully managed email services with guaranteed SLAs and dedicated customer support.
Projects heavily invested in non-MJML template engines or needing advanced template logic beyond MJML's capabilities.
Applications with extremely high-volume email sending needs that demand specialized infrastructure and optimizations not provided by a basic SMTP relay.

Pros & Cons

Pros

Self-Hosted Data Control

Catapulte runs on your own infrastructure, ensuring data privacy and compliance with regulations by avoiding external services subject to laws like the Patriot Act, as emphasized in the README.

MJML Template Accessibility

Uses MJML to allow non-technical team members to edit responsive email templates without developer intervention, addressing the frustration of frequent template changes mentioned in the motivation.

Flexible SMTP Integration

Sends emails through any SMTP server, including cost-effective options like Amazon SES, providing control over sending infrastructure and avoiding vendor lock-in.

Simple API with Multi-Recipient

Offers a RESTful API with JSON or multipart support for attachments and allows sending to multiple recipients in one call, reducing API overhead for batch operations.

Cons

External SMTP Dependency

Requires setting up and managing an external SMTP server separately, adding configuration complexity and potential points of failure compared to all-in-one solutions.

Limited Advanced Features

Focuses on basic transactional email sending and lacks built-in features like email tracking, analytics, or marketing automation tools found in commercial providers.

Setup and Maintenance Overhead

Deployment involves Docker and multiple environment variables, demanding technical expertise for setup and ongoing maintenance, as seen in the README's configuration instructions.