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Step 1Open the server Apps tab
Select the tutorial-vps VPS, open the Apps tab, and start a new app deployment. Keep sensitive server details hidden before capturing or sharing screenshots.
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Mailcow
Infrastructure4096MB+ RAM
Full-featured mail server with webmail
emailmail-serverwebmail
Deploy Mailcow in 3 Steps
1
Connect Your VPS
Add your server credentials to Server Compass
2
Select Mailcow
Choose from our template library
3
Deploy & Configure
Fill in settings and click Deploy
No Docker knowledge required
Step-by-step deployment guide
Deploy Mailcow on a VPS with Server Compass
Use the Mailcow template in Server Compass to deploy the official mailcow-dockerized stack with the web UI, SOGo webmail, SMTP, IMAP, antispam, MariaDB, Redis, and Unbound resolver services on a VPS.
About 8 minutesBrowser verified
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Step 2Choose an app template
Click New App and choose the template deployment path so Server Compass can load the built-in catalog.
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Step 3Search for Mailcow
Use the template picker search to find Mailcow in the Server Compass template catalog.
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Step 4Select the Mailcow template
Choose the Mailcow template. Server Compass prepares the official mailcow-dockerized stack, high tutorial ports, persistent volumes, generated database credentials, and DNS resolver settings.
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Step 5Review the Mailcow settings
Confirm the app name and service settings. In this run, the app was named mailcow-demo; the admin UI was exposed on host port 4809.
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Step 6Deploy Mailcow
Review the generated compose settings, confirm the Mailcow service set and high tutorial ports, then click Deploy.
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Step 7Watch the deployment progress
Keep the deployment modal open while Server Compass uploads the compose file, pulls the Mailcow images, starts the containers, and verifies the stack.
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Step 8Confirm Mailcow is running
After deployment finishes, return to the Apps tab and confirm the Mailcow app is marked Running.
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Step 9Open the Mailcow web UI
Open the public web URL and confirm Mailcow loads. For a real mail server, sign in with the initial administrator account, change its password, and configure DNS before using the instance.
After Mailcow Opens
- Sign in with Mailcow's initial administrator account and change the default password immediately.
- Configure MX, SPF, DKIM, DMARC, and reverse DNS before using the server for real mail.
- Replace `mail.example.test` with a real mail hostname and configure TLS before production use.
- Restrict admin access with firewall rules or a trusted reverse proxy before exposing it broadly.
Verified Result
The Mailcow web interface loaded successfully in Chromium at http://167.233.138.53:4809/.
Mailcow deployment questions
What does the Mailcow template deploy?
It deploys the official mailcow-dockerized stack with nginx, PHP-FPM, SOGo webmail, Dovecot, Postfix, Rspamd, MariaDB, Redis, and Unbound DNS resolver services.
Which port did the tutorial use?
The tutorial used host port 4809, mapped to the Mailcow nginx web service on the configured HTTP port.
Is the tutorial ready for real mail delivery?
No. The tutorial verifies that Mailcow deploys and serves the admin UI. Real mail delivery still requires a real domain, DNS records, reverse DNS, TLS, and an initial admin user.
Should this become a blog post?
No. The deployment guide should live on the Mailcow template detail page and be linked from the reusable template deployment docs page.
Terminal Deployment
Mailcow CLI Deployment
Deploy Mailcow the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.
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Open a Terminal Connection
Start by opening a terminal window and connecting to your VPS via SSH.
terminal
# Connect to your VPS
ssh root@your-server-ip
# Or with a specific SSH key
ssh -i ~/.ssh/your-key root@your-server-ipFirst time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
2
Create Application Directory
Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.
terminal
# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/mailcow
cd ~/apps/mailcow3
Create Deployment Configuration
Create a docker-compose.yml file with the following configuration:
docker-compose.yml
services:
nginx:
image: ghcr.io/mailcow/nginx:1.03
ports:
- "443:443"
- "80:80"
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
- php-fpm
php-fpm:
image: ghcr.io/mailcow/phpfpm:1.92
environment:
- DBNAME=mailcow
- DBUSER=mailcow
- DBPASS=<your-db-password>
restart: unless-stopped
depends_on:
- mysql
- redis
mysql:
image: mariadb:11
environment:
- MARIADB_ROOT_PASSWORD=<your-db-root-password>
- MARIADB_DATABASE=mailcow
- MARIADB_USER=mailcow
- MARIADB_PASSWORD=<your-db-password>
volumes:
- mysql_data:/var/lib/mysql
restart: unless-stopped
redis:
image: redis:7-alpine
restart: unless-stopped
dovecot:
image: ghcr.io/mailcow/dovecot:1.30
restart: unless-stopped
postfix:
image: ghcr.io/mailcow/postfix:1.77
ports:
- "25:25"
- "465:465"
- "587:587"
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
mysql_data:
Deployment Settings
PORTHTTPS port(default: 443)HTTP_PORTHTTP port(default: 80)DB_PASSWORDDB passwordDB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password4
Launch Your Application
Deploy the stack and monitor the startup process.
terminal
# Spin up containers
docker compose up -d
# Verify deployment
docker compose ps
# Check logs for errors
docker compose logs -f5
Enable External Access
Set up firewall rules to permit incoming connections.
terminal
# Allow the application port through firewall
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw reload
# Access your app at:
# http://your-server-ip:443Skip the Terminal
Skip the command line. Deploy visually.
Server Compass makes deploying Mailcow effortless. Visual setup, one-click deploy, done.
- Visual config editor
- Instant deployment
- Automatic HTTPS
- Smooth updates
- Live monitoring
- Quick rollbacks
Download Server Compass$29 one-time • Lifetime license
After Deployment
After deploying Mailcow with Server Compass, complete these steps to finish setup
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Configure DNS records
2
Add domains
3
Create mailboxes
Need help? Check out our documentation for detailed guides.
Mailcow FAQ
Common questions about self-hosting Mailcow
How do I deploy Mailcow with Server Compass?
Simply download Server Compass, connect to your VPS, and select Mailcow from the templates list. Fill in the required configuration and click Deploy. The entire process takes under 3 minutes.
What are the system requirements for Mailcow?
Mailcow requires a minimum of 4096MB RAM. We recommend a VPS with at least 8192MB RAM for optimal performance. Any modern Linux server with Docker support will work.
Can I migrate my existing Mailcow data?
Yes! Server Compass provides volume mapping that allows you to import existing data. You can also use standard Mailcow backup and restore procedures.
How do I update Mailcow to the latest version?
Server Compass makes updates easy. Simply click the Update button in your deployment dashboard, and the latest Mailcow image will be pulled and deployed with zero downtime.
Is Mailcow free to self-host?
Mailcow is open-source software. You only pay for your VPS hosting (typically $5-20/month) and optionally Server Compass ($29 one-time). No subscription fees or per-seat pricing.
Ready to Self-Host Mailcow?
Download Server Compass and deploy Mailcow to your VPS in under 3 minutes. No Docker expertise required.
Download Server Compass