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Self-host mailcow on a VPS

A full self-hosted mail server suite.

SMTP, IMAP, webmail, spam filtering and DKIM/SPF/DMARC tooling in a Docker-based stack you control.

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Why self-host mailcow?

mailcow is the most approachable way to run your own email with modern anti-spam and management, if you want to own your mail fully.

How to install mailcow

  1. 1

    Provision a VPS

    Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.

  2. 2

    Install the stack

    Install Docker Compose (Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, SOGo).

  3. 3

    Deploy the application

    Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.

  4. 4

    Enable HTTPS

    Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.

  5. 5

    Back it up

    Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.

Practical tips

  • Give mailcow its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
  • Reverse-proxy mailcow and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
  • Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
  • Keep mailcow patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.

Frequently asked questions

How much RAM does mailcow need?
Plan on 4–6 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
What stack does mailcow run on?
Docker Compose (Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, SOGo).
Can I run other things on the same VPS?
Yes — size the plan so mailcow plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.

Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Mail-in-a-Box, Poste.io, iRedMail — browse all app guides.

About mailcow

mailcow is open-source software released under the GPL-3.0 licence. HostingSwift does not maintain, sell or support mailcow itself — you install and run it on your own VPS. These are the official links to the project:

Read the project's own documentation before deploying. We credit upstream projects because we genuinely run and recommend them — see our full open-source directory.