MailcowvsSubgen
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Mailcow | Subgen | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 60/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #1 of 4 in Media |
| GitHub stars | 13 714 | 1 506 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +204 | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 | 0 |
| Latest release | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Mailcow scores 77/100 against 60/100 for Subgen, so it is the safer default.
Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Subgen.
If you want the quickest setup, Subgen is easier to run; Mailcow needs more configuration.
Mailcow is growing faster right now (+204 stars in 30 days).
Mailcow details →Subgen details →
Swap a project
Keep Mailcow, compare it with
Keep Subgen, compare it with