# docker-smtp vs Mailcow

> Two self-hosted [Email projects](https://selfhost.directory/email), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | docker-smtp | Mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 38/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #88 of 106 in Email | #2 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 145 | 13 713 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +215 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 16 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | — | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Shell | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Mailcow scores 77/100 against 38/100 for docker-smtp, so it is the safer default.

Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for docker-smtp.

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

Mailcow is growing faster right now (+215 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/docker-smtp-vs-mailcow