Zero

An Open-Source Gmail Alternative for the Future of Email

What is Zero?

Zero is an open-source AI email solution that gives users the power to self-host their own email app while also integrating external services like Gmail and other email providers. Our goal is to modernize and improve emails through AI agents to truly modernize emails.

Why Zero?

Most email services today are either closed-source, data-hungry, or too complex to self-host. 0.email is different:

• ✅ Open-Source – No hidden agendas, fully transparent.
• 🦾 AI Driven - Enhance your emails with Agents & LLMs.
• 🔒 Data Privacy First – Your emails, your data. Zero does not track, collect, or sell your data in any way. Please note: while we integrate with external services, the data passed through them is not under our control and falls under their respective privacy policies and terms of service.
• ⚙️ Self-Hosting Freedom – Run your own email app with ease.
• 📬 Unified Inbox – Connect multiple email providers like Gmail, Outlook, and more.
• 🎨 Customizable UI & Features – Tailor your email experience the way you want it.
• 🚀 Developer-Friendly – Built with extensibility and integrations in mind.

Tech Stack

Zero is built with modern and reliable technologies:

• Frontend: Next.js, React, TypeScript, TailwindCSS, Shadcn UI
• Backend: Node.js, Drizzle ORM
• Database: PostgreSQL
• Authentication: Better Auth, Google OAuth

Getting Started

Prerequisites

Required Versions:

• Node.js (v18 or higher)
• Bun (v1.2 or higher)
• Docker (v20 or higher)

Before running the application, you'll need to set up services and configure environment variables. For more details on environment variables, see the Environment Variables section.

Setup Options

You can set up Zero in two ways:

Option 1: Standard Setup (Recommended)

Quick Start Guide

1. Clone and Install

   # Clone the repository
   git clone https://github.com/Mail-0/Zero.git
   cd Zero
   
   # Install dependencies
   bun install
   
   # Start database locally
   bun docker:up

2. Set Up Environment

   • Copy .env.example to .env in project root

     cp .env.example .env
   • Configure your environment variables (see below)
   • Start the database with the provided docker compose setup: bun docker:up
   • Initialize the database: bun db:push

3. Start the App

   bun dev

4. Open in Browser

   Visit http://localhost:3000

Option 2: Dev Container Setup (For VS Code Users)

This option uses VS Code's Dev Containers feature to provide a fully configured development environment with all dependencies pre-installed. It's great for ensuring everyone on the team has the same setup.

1. Prerequisites

   • Docker
   • VS Code or compatible editor
   • Dev Containers extension

2. Open in Dev Container

   • Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/Mail-0/Zero.git
   • Open the folder in VS Code
   • When prompted, click "Reopen in Container" or run the "Dev Containers: Open Folder in Container" command
   • VS Code will build and start the dev container (this may take a few minutes the first time)

3. Access the App

   • The app will be available at http://localhost:3000

4. Troubleshooting

   • If you encounter issues with the container, try rebuilding it using the "Dev Containers: Rebuild Container" command
   • For dependency issues inside the container: bash rm -rf node_modules rm bun.lockb bun install

Environment Setup

1. Better Auth Setup

   • Open the .env file and change the BETTER_AUTH_SECRET to a random string. (Use openssl rand -hex 32 to generate a 32 character string)

     BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your_secret_key

2. Google OAuth Setup (Required for Gmail integration)

   • Go to Google Cloud Console

   • Create a new project

   • Add the following APIs in your Google Cloud Project: People API, Gmail API

     • Use the links above and click 'Enable' or
     • Go to 'APIs and Services' > 'Enable APIs and Services' > Search for 'Google People API' and click 'Enable'
     • Go to 'APIs and Services' > 'Enable APIs and Services' > Search for 'Gmail API' and click 'Enable'

   • Enable the Google OAuth2 API

   • Create OAuth 2.0 credentials (Web application type)

   • Add authorized redirect URIs:

     • Development:
       • http://localhost:3000/api/auth/callback/google
     • Production:
       • https://your-production-url/api/auth/callback/google

   • Add to .env:

     GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
     GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret

   • Add yourself as a test user:

     • Go to Audience
     • Under 'Test users' click 'Add Users'
     • Add your email and click 'Save'

Warning

The authorized redirect URIs in Google Cloud Console must match exactly what you configure in the .env, including the protocol (http/https), domain, and path - these are provided above.

Environment Variables

Copy .env.example located in the project folder to .env in the same folder and configure the following variables:

# Auth
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=     # Required: Secret key for authentication

# Google OAuth (Required for Gmail integration)
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=       # Required for Gmail integration
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=   # Required for Gmail integration

# Database
DATABASE_URL=           # Required: PostgreSQL connection string for backend connection

# Redis
REDIS_URL=              # Redis URL for caching (http://localhost:8079 for local dev)
REDIS_TOKEN=            # Redis token (upstash-local-token for local dev)

For local development a connection string example is provided in the .env.example file located in the same folder as the database.

Database Setup

Zero uses PostgreSQL for storing data. Here's how to set it up:

1. Start the Database

   Run this command to start a local PostgreSQL instance:

   bun docker:up

   This creates a database with:

   • Name: zerodotemail
   • Username: postgres
   • Password: postgres
   • Port: 5432

2. Set Up Database Connection

   Make sure your database connection string is in .env file.

   For local development use:

   DATABASE_URL="postgresql://postgres:postgres@localhost:5432/zerodotemail"
   

3. Database Commands

   • Set up database tables:

     bun db:push

   • Create migration files (after schema changes):

     bun db:generate

   • Apply migrations:

     bun db:migrate

   • View database content:

     bun db:studio

     If you run bun dev in your terminal, the studio command should be automatically running with the app.

Contribute

Please refer to the contributing guide.

If you'd like to help with translating Zero to other languages, check out our translation guide.

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🤍 The team

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