Forward Email 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?
Forward Email
Privacy-focused encrypted email for everyone
VS
mailcow
Dockerized full-stack mail server suite
| Feature | Forward Email | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | BUSL-1.1 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 6,144 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,655 | ★ 13,245 |
| First released | 2026 | 2016 |
| Replaces | — | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace |
Why pick each one
Choose Forward Email if…
- Released under the BUSL-1.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Forward Email 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 Forward Email and mailcow free and open-source?
Yes. Forward Email is licensed under BUSL-1.1 and mailcow under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Forward Email and mailcow with Docker?
Forward Email: yes. mailcow: yes.