MailcowvsplMail
Two self-hosted Email projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mailcow | plMail | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 51/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #55 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 13 713 | 444 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +215 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 10 |
| Latest release | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 | v0.4.0 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | PHP |
Which one should you pick?
Mailcow scores 77/100 against 51/100 for plMail, so it is the safer default.
Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for plMail.
If you want the quickest setup, plMail is easier to run; Mailcow needs more configuration.
Mailcow is growing faster right now (+215 stars in 30 days).
Mailcow details →plMail details →All Email projects →
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