mailcow review (2026): is it any good?
Dockerized open-source mail server with a web admin UI
mailcow report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a mail server in Docker
mailcow is a free, Dockerized mail server with a web admin panel and SOGo webmail. You run it yourself, so DNS, TLS, backups and updates are on you, and support is community best-effort.
Who mailcow is for
- 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
Who mailcow is not for
- 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
Why mailcow gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree software, but you rent and run the server, so it's a C by our rule.
- BFree plan and trialThe software is free with nothing held back. Paid support is a separate subscription from Servercow.
- BFeaturesA 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.
- DEase of useYou run Docker, DNS records, TLS and backups of the volumes yourself.
- BPlatforms and integrationsA web admin and webmail, with Outlook, Thunderbird, Keycloak, Nextcloud and Roundcube connections. No apps of its own.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the mailcow project's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make mailcow? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/mailcow#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/mailcow.svg" alt="mailcow: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where mailcow stands among email apps
mailcow's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 54 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 19.
It stands best on features (B, above 79 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
mailcow has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 123 email apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. mailcow’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 53
- BFree plan and trialAbove 69 of 122, level with 27
- BFeaturesAbove 79 of 122, level with 43
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 19
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122, level with 54
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep mailcow, or make your own?
Keep it
mailcow is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
What you could make
- Calendar: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- It plugs into other products, SOGo, Keycloak and Nextcloud among them.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. mailcow’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is mailcow?
mailcow: dockerized is an open-source email and groupware suite that runs as a set of Docker containers on your own server. It bundles Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, ClamAV and the SOGo webmailer behind a web admin interface for domains, mailboxes and spam settings. Paid support and a managed hosted version are sold separately by Servercow.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
mailcow pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, mailcow is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| mailcow: dockerized | $0 | Free open-source software you host yourself; community support is voluntary and carries no guarantee. |
Read from docs.mailcow.email on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with mailcow before you buy.
Works with
- SOGo
- Keycloak
- Nextcloud
- Roundcube
- Microsoft Outlook
- Thunderbird
mailcow alternatives
- mailcow vs Mailu
Free
- mailcow vs iRedMail
Free plan · from $499/yr
Common questions
Does mailcow have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. mailcow is listed for Web.
Does mailcow have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. mailcow is listed for Web.
Is mailcow open source?
Yes. mailcow is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.