Maddy Mail Server vs mailcow
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
mailcow
Dockerized full-stack mail server suite
| Feature | Maddy Mail Server | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 89 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 6,144 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,091 | ★ 13,498 |
| First released | 2019 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace |
What are Maddy Mail Server and mailcow?
Maddy Mail Server
Maddy is a single-process mail server written in Go that replaces Postfix, Dovecot, and several other components. It is designed to be simple to configure while remaining flexible.
- Single binary replaces full stack
- SMTP, IMAP and submission in one
- Simple unified configuration
- Built-in DKIM and TLS management
mailcow
mailcow is a complete, Docker-based mail server solution that bundles Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, SOGo, and a modern web UI. It makes running a full-featured mail server with antispam and webmail straightforward.
- Complete Docker mail stack
- Rspamd antispam built in
- SOGo webmail and ActiveSync
- Modern management UI with API
Maddy Mail Server vs mailcow: key differences
Maddy Mail Server is written in Go, while mailcow is built with JavaScript. Maddy Mail Server is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 6,144 MB for mailcow. Mailcow is the more established project (first released 2016), while Maddy Mail Server arrived in 2019. Mailcow has the considerably larger community, at 13,498 GitHub stars versus 6,091.
Why pick each one
Choose Maddy Mail Server if…
- Drastically simpler than traditional stacks
- Low resource use
Watch out for
- Fewer features than mature stacks
- Smaller community
Choose mailcow if…
- All components preconfigured
- Active community
Watch out for
- Substantial RAM requirements
- Many containers to manage
Frequently asked questions
Is Maddy Mail Server or mailcow better?
Neither is universally better. mailcow has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Maddy Mail Server and mailcow free and open-source?
Yes. Maddy Mail Server is licensed under GPL-3.0 and mailcow under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Maddy Mail Server and mailcow with Docker?
Maddy Mail Server: yes. mailcow: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Maddy Mail Server or mailcow?
Maddy Mail Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 6,144 MB for mailcow. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.