The mailcow Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about mailcow in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
mailcow
The Insider’s Guide
Dockerized open-source mail server with a web admin UI
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among email apps, read from mailcow’s own pages.
Made by The Infrastructure Company GmbH · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from mailcow’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on mailcow’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 54 of the 122 other email apps we grade
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.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about mailcow, taken from its own pages and our grades.
You run it yourself, so DNS, TLS, backups and updates are on you, and support is community best-effort.
- 1
Best for a mail server in Docker
mailcow is a free, Dockerized mail server with a web admin panel and SOGo webmail.
- 2
It is free
mailcow has no paid plan at all. The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
Complete mail stack in containers
Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd spam filtering, optional ClamAV scanning, an Unbound resolver and automatic Let's Encrypt certificates.
- 5
Web admin interface
Create domains and mailboxes, manage aliases, DKIM and ARC keys, allow and block lists, quarantine and per-user spam scores.
- 6
SOGo webmail and sync
SOGo provides the webmailer plus CalDAV and CardDAV, with ActiveSync device support.
- 7
A 2.4 GPA, above 54 of 122
That is against the other email apps we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
mailcow is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
mailcow at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- The Infrastructure Company GmbH
- Category
- Email Apps
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
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.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Free software, but you rent and run the server, so it's a C by our rule. |
| Free plan and trial | B | The software is free with nothing held back. Paid support is a separate subscription from Servercow. |
| Features | B | A 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 | D | You run Docker, DNS records, TLS and backups of the volumes yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A web admin and webmail, with Outlook, Thunderbird, Keycloak, Nextcloud and Roundcube connections. No apps of its own. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
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 it 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
Good to know
Good for
- Admins who want a ready-made self-hosted mail server for a few domains
- Small organizations replacing hosted mail with their own server
- People comfortable maintaining Docker, DNS records and updates
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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
mailcow is free to use.
Free software, but you rent and run the server, so it's a C by our rule.
mailcow: dockerized
$0
Free open-source software you host yourself; community support is voluntary and carries no guarantee.
The free plan
The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support.
Read from docs.mailcow.email on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Dockerized open-source mail server with a web admin UI. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, calendar, email client.
A full mail stack with web admin, SOGo webmail, groups, shared resources, two-factor sign-in and mailbox migration.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- SOGo
- Keycloak
- Nextcloud
- Roundcube
- Microsoft Outlook
- Thunderbird
mailcow is made by The Infrastructure Company GmbH.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
54/122
Other email apps it is graded above
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
- BFree plan and trialAbove 69 of 122
- BFeaturesAbove 79 of 122
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 57 of 122
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 107 email apps. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. mailcow is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
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.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mailu, Mail-in-a-Box, docker-mailserver, iRedMail and Modoboa
The 5 tools mailcow is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.0GPA
Mailu
Free
Free Docker-based mail server with webmail and admin UI.
- mailcow also covers calendar.
- Mailu also covers dMARC.
- 2.0GPA
Mail-in-a-Box
Free
Free script that turns a cloud server into your own mail server.
- 1.8GPA
docker-mailserver
Free
Self-hosted mail server packaged as a Docker container.
- Only mailcow lists a web app.
- Only docker-mailserver lists a Linux app.
- mailcow also covers calendar and email client.
- 1.8GPA
iRedMail
Free plan · from $499/yr
Open-source mail server installer for Linux and BSD.
- Only mailcow lists a web app.
- Only iRedMail lists a Linux app.
- 2.2GPA
Modoboa
Free
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is mailcow free?
Yes. mailcow is free to use. The software is free to run on your own server, with best-effort community support.
How much does mailcow cost?
mailcow lists one plan. mailcow: dockerized: $0. Prices were read from docs.mailcow.email on Nov 13, 2026.
What platforms does mailcow work on?
mailcow is available on Web.
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.
What does mailcow integrate with?
mailcow's listing names SOGo, Keycloak, Nextcloud, Roundcube, Microsoft Outlook and Thunderbird.
Who makes mailcow?
mailcow is made by The Infrastructure Company GmbH.
What are the alternatives to mailcow?
The closest alternatives to mailcow in our directory are Mailu, Mail-in-a-Box, docker-mailserver, iRedMail and Modoboa.
How does mailcow compare with other email apps?
mailcow's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 54 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 19.
Is mailcow good value for money?
ToolGPA grades mailcow C for value for money. mailcow has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of mailcow?
mailcow is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from mailcow’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. 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.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by The Infrastructure Company GmbH. Prices change, so check mailcow.email before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- mailcow, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/mailcow
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "mailcow: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/mailcow
Know someone choosing between email apps?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/mailcow/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded email apps after mailcow, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Email Apps Insider's GuideEvery one of the 126 email apps we grade, compared
- Microsoft Outlook Insider's GuideMicrosoft's email and calendar app for desktop, mobile and web3.6 GPA
- AOL Mail Insider's GuideFree webmail with news and weather in a companion mobile app3.2 GPA
- BlueMail Insider's GuideCross-platform email client with a unified inbox and built-in AI3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what mailcow’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. mailcow is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by The Infrastructure Company GmbH. Prices and plans change: check mailcow.email before you buy.