¶ title: mailcow History
description: History and development of mailcow: dockerized mail server suite.
published: true
tags: mailcow, history, mail, software
editor: markdown
dateCreated: 2026-02-26T00:00:00.000Z
date: 2026-02-26
mailcow: dockerized (🐮 + 🐋 = 💕) is a modern, Docker-native mail server suite that has evolved significantly since its inception.
mailcow was created in 2016 by Andreas (known as @andryyy in the open-source community) as a response to the complexity of setting up and maintaining mail servers. The goal was to create a Docker-native solution that would simplify mail server deployment while maintaining security and feature completeness.
The name “mailcow” comes from the playful combination of:
- mail - Email server functionality
- cow - Represented by the cow emoji 🐄, becoming the project’s mascot
The tagline “🐮 + 🐋 = 💕” represents:
- 🐮 = mailcow (the cow)
- 🐋 = Docker (the whale)
- 💕 = Love (the result of combining them)
The first stable release introduced:
- Docker Compose-based deployment
- Postfix + Dovecot core
- Basic web administration panel
- Let’s Encrypt integration
2017:
- Introduction of SOGo groupware integration
- Rspamd spam filtering (replacing SpamAssassin)
- ClamAV antivirus integration
- ActiveSync support for mobile devices
2018:
- Redis caching layer added
- Improved quarantine management
- Two-factor authentication (TFA) support
- Multi-domain support enhancements
mailcow gained significant traction in the self-hosting community:
2019:
- GitHub repository exceeded 5,000 stars
- Active Telegram community formed
- Monthly release cycle established
2020:
- Pandemic-driven self-hosting boom increased adoption
- Introduction of watchdog monitoring
- Enhanced backup capabilities
- Docker network isolation improvements
2021:
- mailcow reached 10,000+ GitHub stars
- Commercial support via servercow.de expanded
- Introduction of ACME automatic SSL
- Full-text search implementation (Flatcurve)
2022:
- Improved resource management
- Better documentation
- Enhanced security hardening
- MTA-STS support
2023:
- Docker Compose v2 support
- Improved IPv6 handling
- Advanced Rspamd configuration
- Quarantine notification system
2024:
- 7,000+ commits milestone
- Monthly update releases standardized
- Enhanced SOGo integration
- Improved migration tools (imapsync)
2025:
- mailcow celebrated 9 years of development
- Introduction of enhanced DKIM/ARC handling
- Improved Redis clustering support
- Better Docker resource management
2026:
- January 2026 Update (#83): Latest major release
- Enhanced security features
- Improved container health checks
- Updated component versions
- Better documentation
| Year |
Postfix |
Dovecot |
Rspamd |
SOGo |
| 2016 |
2.11 |
2.2 |
1.2 |
3.0 |
| 2018 |
3.1 |
2.3 |
1.6 |
3.2 |
| 2020 |
3.4 |
2.3 |
2.0 |
4.0 |
| 2022 |
3.6 |
2.3 |
3.0 |
5.0 |
| 2024 |
3.8 |
2.4 |
3.8 |
5.8 |
| 2026 |
3.9 |
2.4 |
3.10 |
5.10 |
- 2016-2018: MySQL 5.7
- 2019-2023: MariaDB 10.3-10.6
- 2024-Present: MariaDB 10.11+ (LTS)
Original (2016):
- 8 containers
- Basic Docker networking
- Simple volume mounts
Current (2026):
- 15+ containers
- Advanced Docker networking
- 12 persistent volumes
- Health checks and monitoring
mailcow is developed and maintained by The Infrastructure Company GmbH, a German company based in Germany.
Key Facts:
- Founded: 2016
- Location: Germany
- Focus: Infrastructure software, hosting solutions
- Commercial Products: servercow.de (hosting, mailcow support)
- Lead Developer: Andreas (@andryyy)
- Contributors: 100+ GitHub contributors
- Community Support: Active Telegram channel, GitHub issues
mailcow follows a monthly release cycle:
- Release Schedule: Typically end of each month
- Naming: Year-Month format (e.g., 2026-01)
- Update Number: Sequential (#1, #2, #3, etc.)
Format: YYYY-MM (Update #N)
Example: 2026-01 (Update #83)
- Current Release: Latest monthly update
- Previous Release: Security updates only
- Legacy: No support (upgrade required)
¶ Community and Ecosystem
Statistics (2026):
- Stars: 7,500+
- Forks: 1,200+
- Contributors: 100+
- Commits: 7,450+
- Issues: Active resolution
- Telegram: Primary community support
- GitHub Issues: Bug reports and feature requests
- Twitter/X: @mailcow_email
- Mastodon: @mailcow@social.servercow.de
Official Integrations:
- Nextcloud (contacts, calendar sync)
- Roundcube (alternative webmail)
- Prometheus (monitoring)
- Grafana (dashboards)
Community Projects:
- mailcow Exporter (Prometheus metrics)
- mailcow Backup Tools
- mailcow Management CLI
- Custom themes and extensions
- 2020: Featured in major self-hosting guides
- 2021: Recommended by privacy advocates
- 2022: Enterprise adoption increased
- 2023: Top-rated Docker mail server
- 2024: 9 years of continuous development
- 2025: Industry standard for self-hosted email
¶ Awards and Mentions
- Featured in Linux community publications
- Recommended by privacy-focused organizations
- Used by educational institutions
- Deployed by small to medium businesses worldwide
Short-term:
- Enhanced mobile app support
- Improved backup encryption
- Better multi-server setups
- Advanced spam filtering AI
Long-term:
- Kubernetes support
- Multi-tenant architecture
- Enhanced API capabilities
- Machine learning spam detection
- Maintain Docker-native approach
- Keep monthly release cycle
- Improve documentation
- Expand commercial support options
- Strengthen security features
mailcow provides migration tools for:
- Courier IMAP: Direct migration
- Cyrus IMAP: imapsync-based
- Other Postfix setups: Configuration import
- Commercial providers: Guided migration
Common migration sources:
- Manual Postfix/Dovecot setups
- iRedMail installations
- Zimbra migrations
- Hosted email (Office 365, G Suite)
- Official Website: https://mailcow.email/
- GitHub Repository: https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized
- Documentation: https://docs.mailcow.email/
- Commercial Support: https://www.servercow.de/mailcow
- Demo Instance: https://demo.mailcow.email/
Any questions?
Feel free to contact us. Find all contact information on our contact page.