# Flow vs Mailcow

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

| | Flow | Mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 43/100 | 77/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #25 of 30 in Calendar & Contacts | #2 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 157 | 13 713 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +215 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 16 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.7.0 · 22 Aug 2026 | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Dart | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Mailcow scores 77/100 against 43/100 for Flow, so it is the safer default.

Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Flow.

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

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

## Details

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

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