Mailcow

Infrastructure4096MB+ RAM

Full-featured mail server with webmail

Download Server Compass View Documentation

emailmail-serverwebmail

Deploy Mailcow in 3 Steps

Connect Your VPS

Add your server credentials to Server Compass

Select Mailcow

Choose from our template library

Deploy & Configure

Fill in settings and click Deploy

No Docker knowledge required

Terminal Deployment

Mailcow CLI Deployment

Deploy Mailcow the traditional way with SSH and Docker Compose.

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-ip

First time? Docker required! Install it with: curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh

Create Application Directory

Create a dedicated space for your application deployment.

terminal

# Create and navigate to project directory
mkdir -p ~/apps/mailcow
cd ~/apps/mailcow

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 password

DB_ROOT_PASSWORDRoot password

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 -f

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:443

Skip 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

Configure DNS records

Add domains

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.