# ArchiveBox vs Mailcow

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | ArchiveBox | Mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 ✓ | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 12 in Archiving & Preservation | #2 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 28 896 ✓ | 13 715 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +307 ✓ | +205 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 16 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.9.77 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Python | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

ArchiveBox scores 79/100 against 77/100 for Mailcow, so it is the safer default.

Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for ArchiveBox.

If you want the quickest setup, ArchiveBox is easier to run; Mailcow needs more configuration.

## Details

- [ArchiveBox](https://selfhost.directory/project/archivebox) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/archivebox.md)
- [Mailcow](https://selfhost.directory/project/mailcow) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mailcow.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/archivebox-vs-mailcow