mailcow vs Modoboa (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, mailcow grades higher than Modoboa: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
mailcow grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
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
Pick Modoboa if
- Fits if you want to run your own mail for several domains with one admin panel
- Works for admins who already look after Linux servers and DNS
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't want to run DNS, deliverability and updates yourself
- Skip it if you want paid support built in: installation starts at EUR 150 and issue help at EUR 120
- Too heavy for one person who just wants an inbox
- Watch out: parts of its development are funded by sponsoring campaigns with euro targets
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAmailcowFair | 2.2GPAModoboaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree software, but you rent and run the server, so it's a C by our rule. | CFree and open source (ISC licence) with unlimited domains and mailboxes, but only if you host it. Self-hosted free is a C for value. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe software is free with nothing held back. Paid support is a separate subscription from Servercow. | BFree outright. You need your own server to run it, so a B. |
| Features | 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. | BA full stack in one installer: admin panel, webmail, filters, auto-responder, sender reputation tools and monitoring. We found no gap in the mail-server job in the listing. |
| Ease of use | DYou run Docker, DNS records, TLS and backups of the volumes yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You run the server, DNS and mail delivery yourself, which is a D whatever the quick installer promises. |
| Platforms and integrations | BA web admin and webmail, with Outlook, Thunderbird, Keycloak, Nextcloud and Roundcube connections. No apps of its own. | CWeb admin and webmail only, on a server you run. It lists Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd and Let's Encrypt, but no apps. |
| Best for | a mail server in Docker | a self-hosted mail server with an admin panel |
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: mailcow and Modoboa. How we grade
Price against what you get
mailcow has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Modoboa has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
mailcow scores higher for the same starting price. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than mailcow for less, and none scores higher than Modoboa for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
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
Where they differ
In commonFree planWebOpen sourceSelf-hostableCalendarEmail client
At a glance
| mailcow | Modoboa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Starts at | Free | Free |
| Free plan | The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support. | The software is free and open source (ISC license on GitHub); you host it on your own server. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | The Infrastructure Company GmbH | NGYNLABS |
| Price read from | docs.mailcow.email | modoboa.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Modoboa
- You run and maintain the server yourself, including DNS and deliverability.
- Paid help is offered separately: installation from EUR 150 and issue assistance from EUR 120, per the site.
- Features are funded partly through sponsoring campaigns with euro targets.
Key features
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.
Modoboa
- Admin panel
- A web panel manages domains, mailboxes, aliases and more.
- Built-in webmail
- Users can read mail in a browser through the bundled webmail, which also has calendars and address books.
- Filters and auto-responder
- Users can create filtering rules and an auto-responder.
- Sender reputation tools
- The site says DKIM, SPF and DMARC are used to protect delivery, and TLS certificates come from Let's Encrypt.
- Monitoring
- Built-in graphs show message distribution by type and average size.
- Quick installer
- The site says the installer handles most of the work and you only need to configure DNS.
Plans
mailcow
mailcow: dockerized$0
Free open-source software you host yourself; community support is voluntary and carries no guarantee.
Modoboa
Free$0
Open-source mail server you install yourself, with unlimited domains, mailboxes and aliases.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, mailcow or Modoboa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both mailcow and Modoboa are free to use.
Which has a free plan, mailcow or Modoboa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both mailcow and Modoboa have a free plan.
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.