SHSelfHostIndex

Kopano Groupware Core vs mailcow

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
KO Kopano Groupware Core Open-source collaboration platform with Outlook support VS MA mailcow Dockerized full-stack mail server suite
FeatureKopano Groupware Coremailcow
CategoryGroupwareMail Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageC++JavaScript
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB6,144 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker
GitHub stars★ 60★ 13,245
First released20162016
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange, Google Workspace

Why pick each one

Choose Kopano Groupware Core if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in C++
Kopano Groupware Core details

Choose mailcow if…

  • All components preconfigured
  • Active community
mailcow details

Frequently asked questions

Is Kopano Groupware Core or mailcow better?

mailcow is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Kopano Groupware Core if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Kopano Groupware Core and mailcow free and open-source?

Yes. Kopano Groupware Core is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and mailcow under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Kopano Groupware Core and mailcow with Docker?

Kopano Groupware Core: yes. mailcow: yes.

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