Open Source Newsletter Tool

Most email newsletter tools are fully owned and controlled by a single company. Keila is different: Keila is an Open Source newsletter tool built with the help of a community of volunteers and freely available to everyone.

Open Source software (also called free/libre software) is all about granting certain freedoms to users that ordinary proprietary software doesn’t afford.

You want to understand the inner workings of a program and read its source code? No problem!
You want to change the program’s code to make it better suit your use-case? Go right ahead!
You want to share the program with friends, colleagues, or the general public? With Open Source software, you can.

Is Open Source More Secure?

Some people worry that with the source code of Open Source programs being available, it might be easier to find and create exploits in the software. The opposite is true, however! Finding exploits in Open Source software isn’t really easier than in proprietary closed source software - the source code isn’t even required for finding them. But on the other hand, many more people can look over the code of an Open Source program, report potential vulnerabilities, and fix them.

Another security advantage of Open Source software is that you can audit a program and then run it yourself - you don’t have to trust any third party.

Which Open Source License Does Keila Use?

Keila uses the GNU Affero General Public License (GNU AGPL), Version 3. Here are some of your rights and obligations under the AGPLv3:

Rights

You can access the Keila source code and run your own instance of it for any purpose you see fit
You can make modifications to Keila and share share your modifications with other people

Obligations

If you run your own instance of Keila, you must make the source code of Keila (including all modifications) available to all users who interact with it. This includes not just users with an account on your instance of Keila but also contacts who interact with other parts of your Keila instance, such as the signup form, the unsubscribe page, or the email tracking feature.

For more information about the AGPLv3, check out the FAQ from the Free Software Foundation and the full license.

Open Core? No Thanks!

Some programs are only partially released as Open Source software with some components remaining proprietary or paid add-ons. This is commonly called Open Core.

While Open Core can be a valid business model for some, we are committed to keeping Keila 100% Open Source with no proprietary components. We believe in free software and its many advantages for our users and our community.

Can Keila be self-hosted?

Yes! Keila is a great choice when you’re looking for a self-hosted newsletter tool. You can easily install Keila from our official Docker image.

Read more about how to run Keila on your own server.

Is Mailchimp also Open Source?

Most other email marketing tools such as Mailchimp, Brevo (Sendinblue), or Convertkit are not Open Source.

For most newsletters, Keila is a great Open Source Mailchimp alternative today!