Mailu review (2026): is it any good?
Free Docker-based mail server with webmail and admin UI
Mailu report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a simple Docker mail server
Mailu is a free Docker-based mail server with webmail and an admin panel. You supply the server, DNS, TLS and backups, and the project avoids groupware, so there are no calendars or contacts.
Who Mailu is for
- Fits if you want your own mail server in Docker and no groupware
- Works for admins who like plain compose files
Who Mailu is not for
- Skip it if you want calendars and contacts, since the project says it avoids groupware
- Skip it if you don't want to run the server, DNS and backups
- Watch out: support is the community and contributors, and no paid plan exists
- Watch out: the docs are versioned, so make sure you read the one for your version
Why Mailu gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree to run yourself, with a server to provide. The docs ask for 1 GB of memory, or 3 GB with antivirus.
- BFree plan and trialThe whole server is free software, with no paid plan. You provide the machine and the upkeep.
- CFeaturesStandard mail, webmail, an admin panel, spam filtering and security options. The project says it avoids groupware, so calendars and contacts are missing.
- DEase of useYou run Docker or Kubernetes, DNS records and TLS yourself.
- CPlatforms and integrationsWeb admin and webmail, with Docker, Kubernetes and Let's Encrypt. No apps of its own.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the Mailu 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.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/mailu#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/mailu.svg" alt="Mailu: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Mailu stands among email apps
Mailu's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 11 of the 122 other email apps we grade, and level with 17.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 69 of 122) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Mailu has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 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. Mailu’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 13 of 122, level with 53
- BFree plan and trialAbove 69 of 122, level with 27
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 122, level with 77
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 122, level with 19
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 122, level with 46
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 Mailu, or make your own?
Keep it
Mailu is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 94 of the 122 other email apps grade higher.
What you could not
- An email client: sending, receiving, threading and searching years of mail.
- Reading the reports inbox providers send about your domain.
What this rests on. Mailu’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 Mailu?
Mailu is a mail server packaged as a set of Docker images. It provides IMAP, SMTP and submission, webmail, an admin interface, spam and virus filtering, and DNS and TLS helpers. It is free software maintained by contributors and run on your own server, with Docker Compose and Kubernetes setups documented.
Worth knowing
- You provide and maintain the server, DNS records, TLS and backups yourself.
- The project says it aims to avoid groupware features, so calendars and contacts are not part of the core.
- Support is from the community and contributors; no paid plan appears on the site.
- The documentation is versioned, so check you are reading the version you run.
Key features
- Standard mail server
- IMAP, SMTP and submission with auto-configuration profiles for mail clients.
- Webmail and admin interface
- Includes web access to mail and an admin interface with global admins, per-domain delegation, announcements and quotas.
- User mail features
- Aliases, domain aliases, auto-reply, auto-forward, fetched accounts, ManageSieve and full-text search of attachments.
- Security options
- Enforced TLS, DANE, MTA-STS, Let's Encrypt, outgoing DKIM, an antivirus scanner and blocking of malicious attachments.
- Spam filtering
- Auto-learning, greylisting, DMARC and SPF checks and anti-spoofing.
- Compose and Kubernetes setups
- Documented Docker Compose and Kubernetes installs, a RESTful API and a command line for administration.
Mailu pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mailu is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- The whole mail server is free software; you provide the server, domain and upkeep.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Mailu | $0 | Free software you host yourself. The docs list 1 GB of memory without antivirus or 3 GB with it. |
Read from mailu.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Mailu before you buy.
Works with
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- Mailu vs Stalwart Mail Server
Free plan · from $2.40/yr
Common questions
Does Mailu have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mailu is listed for Web.
Does Mailu have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Mailu is listed for Web.
Is Mailu open source?
Yes. Mailu 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.