SHSelfHostIndex

mailcow vs Schleuder

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?
MA mailcow Dockerized full-stack mail server suite VS SC Schleuder Encrypting mailing list manager with OpenPGP
FeaturemailcowSchleuder
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptRuby
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM6,144 MB256 MB
Deploymentdockerbare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 13,245★ 100
First released20162009
ReplacesMicrosoft Exchange, Google WorkspaceGoogle Groups

Why pick each one

Choose mailcow if…

  • All components preconfigured
  • Active community
mailcow details

Choose Schleuder if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Written in Ruby
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Schleuder details

Frequently asked questions

Is mailcow or Schleuder better?

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

Are mailcow and Schleuder free and open-source?

Yes. mailcow is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Schleuder under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run mailcow and Schleuder with Docker?

mailcow: yes. Schleuder: check the project docs for container support.

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