Mail-in-a-Box vs mailcow
Mail-in-a-Box
mailinabox.email
mailcow
mailcow.emailSide by side
| Figure | Mail-in-a-Box | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | €8.90/mo |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 7 |
| Spec score · Mail Server Software | 7.5 (#27) | 8.4 (#3) |
| Requirements | The setup guide requires a fresh Ubuntu 22.04 x64 server and at least 512 MB of RAM; it says containers and modified images are not supported. | The documented minimum is 1 GHz CPU, 6 GiB RAM plus 1 GiB swap, and 20 GiB disk excluding email storage; x86_64 and ARM64 are listed architectures. |
| Security | The control panel supports TOTP-based two-factor authentication, and the security guide says credentials are sent through SSH/TLS rather than in the clear. | Two-factor authentication options include YubiKey OTP, WebAuthn, and TOTP. |
| Support | The project directs users to its discussion forum, GitHub issues, and Slack chat for help. | Commercial support is available through Servercow, while community support is voluntary, best-effort, and not guaranteed. |
Plans
mailcow
- mailcow: dockerizedFree
- shared mailcow€8.90 a month
- Ticket Support (Level 1)€45.90 a month
- managed mailcow€54.90 a month
- Telefon Support (Level 2)€105.90 a month
- Remote Support (Level 3)€165.90 a month
- Notfall Support (Level 4)€430, paid once
In their own words
Mail-in-a-Box
Mail-in-a-Box has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.