Local email testing
that lives on your
machine
LocalMail.dev is a desktop app with a built-in SMTP server. Every email your app sends during development is caught locally, previewed across devices, tested in dark mode, and inspected down to the raw headers. No cloud. No subscription. No data ever leaves your machine.
One-time purchase. macOS, Windows, and Linux. 14-day refund policy.
Interactive demo
Try the local inbox right now.
A working replica of LocalMail.dev. Click emails, star them, switch collections, toggle dark mode, replay through SMTP. This is exactly what you get on your machine.
What is LocalMail.dev?
LocalMail.dev is a local email testing tool for software developers. It runs a real SMTP server directly on your machine, intercepting every email your application sends during development before it can reach a real inbox or an external cloud service.
Unlike cloud-based mail catchers such as Mailtrap or Mailhog, LocalMail.dev is a native desktop application. There are no external servers, no API keys, no rate limits, and no data leaving your machine. Point any framework at localhost:1025 and every outgoing email appears instantly in a local inbox with full preview and inspection tools.
It is the fastest way to test transactional emails, password resets, welcome messages, invoices, and 2FA codes during development. No configuration beyond a host and port. Works on macOS, Windows, and Linux with a one-time purchase of $24.
Everything you need to test emails locally
Stop sending test emails to cloud services. LocalMail.dev runs entirely on your machine. Fast, private, and always available offline. No rate limits, no shared credentials, no subscription fees.
Built-in SMTP Server
Point any framework at localhost:1025. Every outgoing email is intercepted instantly. No accounts, no internet, no configuration beyond a host and port.
Responsive Previews
Switch between desktop, tablet, and mobile views instantly. See exactly how your emails render across screen sizes before they reach a single subscriber.
Dark Mode Testing
Toggle light and dark rendering with one click. Catch contrast failures and broken dark-mode styles before they reach real inboxes.
Raw Email Inspection
Inspect raw MIME source, all header fields, and the full SMTP conversation log. Debug encoding issues and trace Content-Transfer-Encoding problems.
Starred Emails and Collections
Star important emails to save them to a dedicated view. Organise test runs into named collections for easy comparison across development sessions.
Fully Offline
No accounts. No internet required. No telemetry. No data ever sent to a third party. LocalMail.dev works completely offline, every time.
How local email testing works
LocalMail.dev is up and running in under a minute. No cloud accounts, no DNS records, no API keys.
Download and install
Download LocalMail.dev for macOS, Windows, or Linux. Install it like any desktop app. It launches in seconds and starts the SMTP server automatically on port 1025.
Point your app at localhost:1025
Set your framework's SMTP host to localhost and port to 1025. That's it. No authentication, no TLS required. Works with Laravel, Django, Rails, Node.js, and any other SMTP-capable stack.
Inspect every email locally
Send emails from your app as normal. Every message appears instantly in LocalMail's local inbox with rendered previews, dark mode testing, and raw header inspection. Nothing leaves your machine.
LocalMail.dev vs cloud email testing services
Cloud services like Mailtrap charge a monthly fee, require internet access, and store your email data on external servers. LocalMail.dev is a one-time purchase that runs entirely offline.
| Feature | LocalMail.dev | Cloud services |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $24 once | $10-40/month |
| Internet required | Never | Always |
| Data privacy | Fully local | Cloud storage |
| Setup time | 30 seconds | 10-30 minutes |
| Account required | No | Yes |
| Dark mode testing | ||
| Raw MIME inspection | Paid tier only | |
| Rate limits | None | Plan-dependent |
Works with every framework that supports SMTP
If it can send an email over SMTP, LocalMail.dev will catch it.
Frequently asked questions about local email testing
What is a local SMTP server and why do developers use one?
A local SMTP server is a mail transfer agent that runs on your development machine. Developers use one to intercept outgoing emails from their applications without sending anything to a real inbox or a cloud service. It lets you test transactional emails, verify template rendering, and debug header issues safely during development.
How is LocalMail.dev different from Mailtrap?
Mailtrap is a cloud-based email testing service that requires an account, stores your email data on external servers, and charges a monthly subscription fee. LocalMail.dev is a native desktop application that runs a real SMTP server on your machine. All email data stays local, works offline, and costs $24 once with no ongoing fees.
Does LocalMail.dev work with Laravel mail testing?
Yes. Set MAIL_HOST=localhost and MAIL_PORT=1025 in your .env file and every email sent via Laravel's Mail facade or Mailables is captured by LocalMail.dev instantly. No credentials required.
Can I use LocalMail.dev without an internet connection?
Yes. LocalMail.dev is fully offline after the initial download and licence activation. The SMTP server runs locally on your machine at all times, requiring no network access.
What platforms does LocalMail.dev support?
LocalMail.dev is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux. One licence covers up to three personal machines simultaneously.
Is there a free trial?
LocalMail.dev does not offer a free trial, but it does come with a 14-day no-questions-asked refund policy. If it does not fit your workflow within 14 days, email [email protected] for a full refund.
Stop sending dev emails
to the cloud.
LocalMail.dev is a one-time purchase. Works offline. Yours forever.
macOS, Windows, and Linux. 14-day refund. Up to 3 machines.
Get LocalMail.dev for $24