Self-hosted
mailcow
Dockerized groupware and email server suite.
overview
mailcow is an open-source Docker-based groupware and email suite built from established components including Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, SOGo, Redis, MariaDB, Nginx, and Unbound. Its main advantage is a modern admin UI around a full mail-server stack.
deliverability
Self-hosted deliverability depends on DNS, IP history, spam controls, and operator discipline. mailcow bundles Rspamd, DKIM support, quarantine controls, and administration UI around the stack.
best for
Teams that want to self-host a full email and groupware suite.
not great for
Small product teams trying to avoid mail-server operations.
pros
- › Full groupware and mail-server suite rather than only SMTP delivery
- › Dockerized deployment with a strong admin UI
- › Uses familiar components like Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, and SOGo
- › GPL-3.0 licensed repository with active public development
cons
- › Heavier than maddy or Cuttlefish
- › Requires ongoing server, DNS, backup, abuse, and upgrade operations
- › Overkill for teams that only need transactional email API delivery
Features at a glance
| API | Yes |
| SMTP | Yes |
| SDKs | None |
| Webhooks | No |
| Templates | none |
| React Email | No |
| Batch send | No |
| Scheduled send | No |
| Suppressions | Yes |
| Multi-tenant | Yes |
| Inbound parsing | Yes |
| Event stream | Yes |
| Idempotency keys | No |
| Dedicated IP | No |