About mailcow
mailcow is an open source mail server suite that you run yourself with Docker. It bundles the parts needed for email, such as the mail transfer agent, webmail and spam filtering.
What it does
mailcow installs and runs a group of services on your own server, including Postfix, Rspamd, the SOGo webmail and Nginx. The project blog covers regular updates, security fixes and new features such as mailbox groups. The code is published on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license.
Key features
- Postfix mail transfer with Rspamd filtering
- SOGo webmail and calendars
- Docker-based installation
- Regular security updates and release notes
- Mailbox groups and domain-wide footers
Who it's for
System administrators who want to host their own email on a virtual server and are comfortable with Linux and Docker. Organizations that need full control over where their mail data lives.
Pricing and good to know
mailcow is free under the GPL-3.0 license. The project asks for sponsorship and lists verified VPS providers in its documentation. Running a mail server takes a server, a domain with correct DNS records and ongoing maintenance, so it is a better fit for experienced administrators than for beginners.
Highlights
- Run mail transfer with spam filtering
- Use SOGo webmail and calendars
- Install the full stack with Docker
- Create mailbox groups and domain footers
- Follow regular security and release updates
