Mailman vs mailcow
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Mailman
Free software for managing electronic mailing lists
VS
mailcow
Dockerized full-stack mail server suite
| Feature | Mailman | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 6,144 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 13,245 |
| First released | 1998 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Groups | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailman or mailcow better?
mailcow is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Mailman if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mailman and mailcow free and open-source?
Yes. Mailman is licensed under GPL-3.0 and mailcow under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailman and mailcow with Docker?
Mailman: yes. mailcow: yes.