head to head · open source
Ntfy vs Inbox Zero
Ntfy has 35,241 GitHub stars, 1,692 forks, 393 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Inbox Zero has 12,895 stars, 1,653 forks, 209 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Ntfy leads on adoption by 173% (35,241 vs 12,895 stars). Ntfy is written in Go under Apache-2.0; Inbox Zero is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence. Ntfy has attracted 5% as many forks as stars, Inbox Zero 13%. Inbox Zero was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Ntfy | Inbox Zero | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 35K | ★ 13K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Custom / other |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.7K | ⑂ 1.7K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Ntfy if
- You weight community size — 35K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Inbox Zero if
- You want the Inbox Zero feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Inbox Zero fits your workflow better
About Ntfy
Special thanks to: Warp, built for coding with multiple AI agents. Available for MacOS, Linux, & Windows ntfy.sh Send push notifications to your phone or desktop via PUT/POST ntfy (pronounced " notify ") is a simple HTTP based pub sub notification service. With ntfy, you can send notifications to your phone or desktop via scripts from any computer, without having to sign up or pay any fees . If you'd like to run your own instance of the service, you can easily do so since ntfy is open source. You can access the free version of ntfy at ntfy.sh . There is also an open source Android app available on Google Play or…
About Inbox Zero
Inbox Zero your 24/7 AI email assistant Organizes your inbox, pre drafts replies, manages your calendar, and organizes attachments. Chat with it from Slack or Telegram to manage your inbox on the go. Open source alternative to Fyxer, but more customizable and secure. Website · Discord · Issues Mission To help you spend less time in your inbox, so you can focus on what matters most. Features AI Personal Assistant: Organizes your inbox and pre drafts replies in your tone and style. AI Rules for email: Explain in plain English how your AI should handle your inbox. Reply Zero: Track emails to reply to and those…
read the full Inbox Zero overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Ntfy or Inbox Zero more popular?
Ntfy has 35,241 GitHub stars and Inbox Zero has 12,895. Ntfy has the larger community by that measure.
Are Ntfy and Inbox Zero free?
Both are open source. Ntfy is licensed under Apache-2.0, and Inbox Zero has no licence declared in this registry. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Ntfy and Inbox Zero?
Ntfy is written in Go and Inbox Zero in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Ntfy or Inbox Zero?
Choose Ntfy if you want the larger community (35,241 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Inbox Zero if its feature set, stack or Custom / other licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.