# Karakeep vs Mailcow

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

| | Karakeep | Mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 77/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 46 in Bookmarks & Link Sharing | #2 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 30 137 ✓ | 13 715 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +876 ✓ | +205 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 5 | 16 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.34.1 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Karakeep scores 82/100 against 77/100 for Mailcow, so it is the safer default.

Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 5 for Karakeep.

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

Karakeep is growing faster right now (+876 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Karakeep vs LinkWarden](https://selfhost.directory/compare/karakeep-vs-linkwarden)

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