Gmail
3 alternatives — 3 hard
Self-hosting email is one of the most challenging but rewarding self-hosting projects. These mail servers handle SMTP, IMAP, spam filtering, and webmail — giving you full control over your email without Google scanning your messages.
Why people leave Gmail
- Emails scanned for ad targeting
- 15GB shared storage across Google services
- Google accounts can be locked without recourse
- No end-to-end encryption
Comparison
| App | Difficulty | RAM | Docker | Mobile | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mailcow Full-featured mail server suite with web UI and antispam. | hard | 4GB | — | Active | ||
| Mailu Simple but full-featured mail server as Docker containers. | hard | 2GB | — | Active | ||
| Stalwart Mail Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP, and SMTP support written in Rust. | hard | 1GB | — | — | Active |
Detailed Look
Mailcow Top Pick
Full-featured mail server suite with web UI and antispam.
Pros
- + Complete mail solution
- + Good web UI
- + Antispam included
- + Easy backup
Cons
- - Resource intensive
- - Email deliverability challenges
- - Complex DNS setup
- - Maintaining reputation is ongoing work
Mailu
Simple but full-featured mail server as Docker containers.
Pros
- + Simpler than mailcow
- + Docker-native
- + Reasonable resource usage
- + Web admin included
Cons
- - Email self-hosting is inherently complex
- - Deliverability challenges remain
- - Less polished UI
- - Fewer features than mailcow
Stalwart Mail
Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP, and SMTP support written in Rust.
Pros
- + Written in Rust for performance
- + Modern JMAP protocol support
- + All-in-one server
- + Low resource usage for a mail server
Cons
- - Newer project with less battle-testing
- - Smaller community than Mailcow
- - Email self-hosting is inherently complex
- - Deliverability still requires careful setup
FAQ
Should I self-host my email?
Only if you're comfortable with DNS configuration, server security, and ongoing maintenance. Email deliverability is the biggest challenge — your self-hosted server may have messages flagged as spam by Gmail and Outlook. Many self-hosters use a self-hosted server for receiving and a relay service for sending.
What is the easiest self-hosted email server?
Mailu is generally considered the simplest to set up — it's a Docker-based all-in-one solution. Mailcow is more feature-rich but more complex. Both include webmail, spam filtering, and admin panels.
Will my self-hosted email get marked as spam?
It can, especially initially. You'll need proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC DNS records, a clean IP address, and reverse DNS configured. Many people use a dedicated VPS from a reputable provider and warm up their IP gradually.
Can't decide? Compare Mailcow, Mailu, Stalwart Mail side by side →