MailcowvsMailu
Two self-hosted Email projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mailcow | Mailu | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 69/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #8 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 13 713 | 7 595 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +215 | +72 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 22 |
| Latest release | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 | 2024.06.67 · 23 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Mailcow scores 77/100 against 69/100 for Mailu, so it is the safer default.
Mailu ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 16 for Mailcow.
If you want the quickest setup, Mailu is easier to run; Mailcow needs more configuration.
Mailcow is growing faster right now (+215 stars in 30 days).
Mailcow details →Mailu details →All Email projects →
Swap a project
Keep Mailcow, compare it with
Keep Mailu, compare it with