Skip to content
ToolGPA

iRedMail vs mailcow (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, mailcow grades higher than iRedMail: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

mailcow grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.

Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.

iRedMail

Open-source mail server installer for Linux and BSD

Free plan · from $499/yr
Full detailsiredmail.org

mailcow

Dockerized open-source mail server with a web admin UI

Free
Full detailsmailcow.email

Which one is for you

Pick iRedMail if

  • Fits if you want to build your own mail server in one go on Linux or BSD
  • Works for admins who will look after backups, DNS and updates

Look elsewhere if

  • Pricey if you need the full admin panel: iRedAdmin-Pro is $499 a year for one server, $250 to renew
  • Skip it if you want support, as the Pro licence does not include support for iRedMail itself
  • Not for you if you run Windows or macOS servers
  • Watch out: the Enterprise Edition price was not readable on the site
  • Watch out: SOGo is missing on some newer Linux releases

Pick mailcow if

  • Fits if you want to run your own mail for a domain or two and know Docker
  • Works for admins who want webmail and calendars from one install

Look elsewhere if

  • Skip it if you don't want to look after a server
  • Skip it if you want guaranteed help, as support is community best-effort
  • Watch out: the key pair for stored mail sits in a Docker volume you must back up
  • Watch out: managed mailcow comes from Servercow, whose prices we did not read

How we grade them

1.8GPAiRedMailWeak2.4GPAmailcowFair
Value for money
CThe installer is free, but self-hosted is a C. The fuller admin panel iRedAdmin-Pro is $499 for 1 year per server, then $250 a year to renew, and sales are final.
CFree software, but you rent and run the server, so it's a C by our rule.
Free plan and trial
BThe installer and a basic admin panel are free with unlimited domains, mailboxes and lists. You need your own server.
BThe software is free with nothing held back. Paid support is a separate subscription from Servercow.
Features
CInstalls the stack with webmail, groupware, antispam and antivirus and lets you pick backends. The full admin panel and Enterprise Edition cost extra.
BA full mail stack with web admin, SOGo webmail, groups, shared resources, two-factor sign-in and mailbox migration. The listing shows no gap in the job.
Ease of use
DNo store rating on record. You run the server yourself on a supported Linux or BSD release, so a D.
DYou run Docker, DNS records, TLS and backups of the volumes yourself.
Platforms and integrations
DLinux and BSD servers only. SOGo is not available on some releases such as CentOS Stream, Rocky and Alma 10.
BA web admin and webmail, with Outlook, Thunderbird, Keycloak, Nextcloud and Roundcube connections. No apps of its own.
Best fora free Linux or BSD mail server installera mail server in Docker

The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: iRedMail and mailcow. How we grade

Price against what you get

iRedMail starts at $20.83 a month when paid by the year and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. mailcow has no paid plan and scores 2.3.

mailcow scores higher and starts $20.83 a month lower. Of the other email apps on the chart, 97 score higher than iRedMail for less, and none scores higher than mailcow for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$0.5$1$2$5$10$20$50$100More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessiRedMailmailcow

What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →

  • The best score at each price
  • Has a free plan
  • No free plan
The full chart of email apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planOpen sourceSelf-hostableCalendarEmail client

    At a glance

    iRedMailmailcow
    PricingFree planFree
    Starts at$499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renewFree
    Free planiRedMail itself is free and open source, with a free basic web admin panel.The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    Web
    Linux
    Made byiRedMailThe Infrastructure Company GmbH
    Price read fromiredmail.orgdocs.mailcow.email
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 2026

    Worth knowing

    iRedMail

    • The iRedAdmin-Pro license covers one server, and support for iRedMail itself is not included.
    • Runs on supported Linux and BSD releases; SOGo is not available on some of them (CentOS Stream, Rocky and Alma 10).
    • The site recommends Enterprise Edition for new servers; its per-mailbox or per-server price was not readable.

    mailcow

    • You run the server yourself: DNS records, TLS, backups of the Docker volumes and updates are yours to manage.
    • Official support is community-driven and best-effort; paid support is a separate subscription sold by Servercow.
    • Stored mail is compressed and encrypted, and the key pair sits in a Docker volume that must be backed up.
    • A managed mailcow is sold by Servercow, whose pages are in German and whose prices were not read here.

    Key features

    iRedMail

    Full stack installer
    Installs and configures the mail server components in a few minutes, per the site.
    Webmail and groupware
    Roundcube webmail and SOGo groupware, which adds CalDAV, CardDAV, tasks and ActiveSync.
    Antispam and antivirus
    SpamAssassin, ClamAV, SPF, DKIM, greylisting, whitelisting and blacklisting are listed.
    Choice of backends
    Accounts can be stored in OpenLDAP, MySQL, MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
    Unlimited accounts
    The site says there is no limit on domains, users, mailing lists or admins.
    Enterprise Edition
    A separate edition with Active Directory replication, domain admins, throttling and two-factor authentication.

    mailcow

    Complete mail stack in containers
    Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd spam filtering, optional ClamAV scanning, an Unbound resolver and automatic Let's Encrypt certificates.
    Web admin interface
    Create domains and mailboxes, manage aliases, DKIM and ARC keys, allow and block lists, quarantine and per-user spam scores.
    SOGo webmail and sync
    SOGo provides the webmailer plus CalDAV and CardDAV, with ActiveSync device support.
    Groups and shared resources
    Groups with distribution lists, send-as permissions, shared mailboxes and shared calendars.
    Sign-in and two-factor options
    Login through Keycloak, LDAP or Active Directory, or OIDC, plus TOTP, Yubikey OTP and WebAuthn.
    Mailbox migration
    Built-in imapsync jobs pull or migrate mail from remote mailboxes, including Microsoft 365 and Google over OAuth2.

    Plans

    iRedMail

    • iRedMail$0

      Open-source installer with unlimited domains, mailboxes and mailing lists.

    • iRedAdmin-Pro, 1 year$499

      per server, for a 1-year license

      Full admin panel, SQL or LDAP edition. Renews at $250 per year; sales are final.

    • iRedAdmin-Pro, 2 years$699

      per server, for a 2-year license

      Same panel; renew before expiry for the third year.

    • iRedAdmin-Pro, 3 years$899

      per server, for a 3-year license

      Same panel; renew before expiry for the fourth year.

    mailcow

    • mailcow: dockerized$0

      Free open-source software you host yourself; community support is voluntary and carries no guarantee.

    Ways to pay less

    iRedMail

    • Other savings

      5% off two licenses, 10% off four

      The iRedAdmin-Pro order page gives 5% off when buying 2 licenses and 10% off when buying 4.

    mailcow

    No public discounts listed.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, iRedMail or mailcow?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, mailcow is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $20.83 a month when paid by the year for iRedMail. iRedMail starts at $499 for a 1-year iRedAdmin-Pro license, $250 per year to renew, and mailcow is free.

    Which has a free plan, iRedMail or mailcow?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both iRedMail and mailcow have a free plan.

    Which platforms do iRedMail and mailcow run on?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, only iRedMail lists a Linux app and only mailcow lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.

    More comparisons

    How this page was made

    • The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
    • The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
    • Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
    • The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.
    How we review and grade