Skip to content
Get packs

Zero

Open-source, self-hostable email app that connects Gmail and other providers, with AI agent features.

GitHub Download v0.1
Stars
10.9k
Forks
1.3k
Licence
MIT
Language
TypeScript
Last update
11 days ago
Type
App

What it is

Zero is an open-source email app that you can run on your own server instead of relying only on a hosted service. It can connect to Gmail and other email providers so you can read mail from several accounts in one inbox. The project says it adds AI agents and language models to help with email, and that it does not track or sell user data, though data sent through connected providers falls under their own policies.

  • Run a local copy of the email web app on your own machine for testing
  • Connect a Gmail account through Google OAuth and read threads in one interface
  • Explore AI-assisted email features built into the project
  • Adapt the Next.js and TypeScript code for your own email workflows

Great for

  • Developers who want to self-host an email client and modify it
  • Privacy-minded users willing to set up their own server
  • Teams experimenting with AI features on top of email
  • People who want a single inbox across Gmail and other providers

Not ideal for

  • Non-technical users who want a ready-to-use mail service, since setup needs Node.js, pnpm, Docker, a database and Google Cloud credentials
  • Anyone needing a proven production email system, since the latest release is v0.1 and the README does not describe maturity or support levels
Step-by-step guide: how to use ZeroInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

How to get it

  1. 1

    Clone and build from source

    You'll need: Node.js v18 or higher · pnpm v10 or higher · Docker v20 or higher

    Clone the repository

    git clone https://github.com/Mail-0/Zero.git

    Install dependencies

    pnpm install

    Start the local database

    pnpm docker:db:up

    Start the app

    pnpm dev
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Clone the repo and run pnpm install
    • Start the local PostgreSQL database with pnpm docker:db:up
    • Set up environment variables with pnpm nizzy env and initialize tables with pnpm db:push
    • Run pnpm dev and open http://localhost:3000 in your browser
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Set up Google OAuth and enable the Gmail and People APIs to connect a Gmail account
    • Use the documented database commands (db:studio, db:generate, db:migrate) to inspect and manage data
    • Review the Sync section's THREAD_SYNC_MAX_COUNT and THREAD_SYNC_LOOP variables when tuning sync behavior
    • Read the contributing guide if you plan to extend the app

Downloads

Source code (.zip)main branch · straight from GitHubRelease v0.1Release notes and sourceOfficial website & docsdiscord.gg/mzJ227YJR

Strengths

  • Open source under the MIT license, so the code can be inspected and reused
  • Built on widely used tools such as Next.js, React, TypeScript and PostgreSQL
  • Clear README setup steps with a video tutorial and a devcontainer option

Trade-offs

  • Setup is multi-step and requires several external accounts and services (Google Cloud, Autumn, Twilio for SMS)
  • The README is truncated and does not fully document features or production deployment

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
Zero (this)10.9kAppintermediate11 days agoDevelopers who want to self-host an email client and modify it
web-check35.3kAppintermediate5 days agoDevelopers checking how a site is configured
quivr39.6kFrameworkadvanced4 days agoDevelopers building a search or monitoring pipeline over a stream of documents
macOS-Security-and-Privacy-Guide22.6kLearning resourceintermediate5 days agoMac owners who want a checklist of security and privacy settings to work through
RemoveWindowsAI13.6kDev toolbeginner8 days agoWindows 11 users who want Copilot and Recall removed
user.js13kDev toolintermediate7 days agoDesktop Firefox users who want stronger privacy defaults

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.