If you’ve ever needed a temporary inbox for testing or signups, you’ve probably turned to shady websites full of ads and trackers. But there’s a better way.
Maildrop is an open-source, self-hosted disposable email service that puts privacy and control back in your hands.
In this SYNACK Time walkthrough, you’ll learn how to run your own Maildrop instance on your domain—no third-party services, no tracking pixels, no nonsense.
What Is Maildrop?
Maildrop is a minimalist email inbox built for one thing: receiving email, fast and privately.
Use it to:
- Create throwaway inboxes for testing and site registrations
- Accept email at custom addresses on your own domain
- Avoid spam, tracking, and unnecessary exposure
- Run everything on your own infrastructure — with zero telemetry
Maildrop is a perfect solution for developers, tinkerers, QA testers, and anyone who’s tired of sharing their real email address.
What You'll Learn in the Video
This tutorial walks you through setting up a Maildrop server from scratch using all the self-hosting tools you already know:
- How to install Maildrop using Docker and Portainer
- Making it internet-accessible via Nginx Proxy Manager
- Connecting your custom domain and configuring DNS
- Understanding where email is stored and how it works behind the scenes
Whether you're building out a homelab or need a reliable testing inbox, this guide gets you there—quickly and securely.
Why Self-Host Disposable Email?
Self-hosted tools like Maildrop give you more than functionality—they give you freedom.
With Maildrop:
- Your emails stay on your server
- No third-party sees your messages or logs your usage
- You control domain routing, inbox retention, and authentication
- It fits perfectly into your privacy-first, open-source homelab
Say goodbye to shady webmail tools and hello to your own lightweight mail server.
Resources
- Maildrop on GitHub: https://github.com/haileyydev/maildrop
- SYNACK Time: https://synacktime.com
- SYNACK Time GitHub: https://github.com/SynAckTime
- Self-Hosting on a Budget (YouTube): Watch here
- Selfhost Newsletter: https://selfh.st
Watch the Full Video
Learn how to set up Maildrop in your own homelab and take back control of your inbox.
