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Head-to-head · Mail Server Software

Dovecot vs mailcow

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 3 checks side by side
Higher score Dovecot #6 in Mail Server Software 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Dovecot
mailcow #7 in Mail Server Software 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit mailcow

Dovecot leads on 0 checks, mailcow on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 3 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreDovecot · 8.6/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresDovecot · 2 of 5

Dovecot scores higher on our rubric for mail server software: 8.6 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #6 and #7.

Dovecot is the better fit for high-performance IMAP and POP3 backends. mailcow is the better fit for docker-based mail and groupware deployments.

  • Dovecot fits best

    High-performance IMAP and POP3 backends

  • mailcow fits best

    Docker-based mail and groupware deployments

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Dovecot 8.6/10 Visit ↗ mailcow 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.6 8.5
Ranking #6 in Mail Server Software #7 in Mail Server Software
Best for High-performance IMAP and POP3 backends Docker-based mail and groupware deployments
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted, Cloud
Platforms Linux Web, Linux
Support Community, Docs Community, Docs, Email
Integrations 3 integrations 5 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Dovecot 2/5 · mailcow 0/5
Webmail interface Not checked yet Not checked yet
IMAP/POP3 access ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Mobile sync Not checked yet Not checked yet
Antispam tools Not checked yet Not checked yet
High availability ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
License model Open-source Not checked yet
Mailbox limit Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Free open-source Community Edition for self-hosted deployments
  • Supports IMAP, POP3, LMTP, and ManageSieve protocols
  • Indexing, caching, search, filtering, and plugin extensibility
  • Includes Dovecot, SOGo, Rspamd, ClamAV and MariaDB components
  • Supports TOTP, YubiKey OTP and WebAuthn two-factor authentication
  • Provides mailbox migration tools and configurable message limits
Cons
  • Focused on mailbox access rather than a complete mail stack
  • No verified webmail or antispam features
  • Commercial Dovecot Pro pricing is not published as a mailbox plan
  • Requires self-hosted infrastructure and administrator-managed operations
  • Its platform model is limited to self-hosted deployments
  • The component-rich stack requires familiarity with mail infrastructure
Our verdict

Dovecot is an open-source email server centered on IMAP and POP3 mailbox access for Linux and UNIX-like systems. Its Community Edition is designed for single-server, self-hosted deployments, making it a strong fit for teams building or…

Read the review →

mailcow: dockerized is an open-source email and groupware suite packaged with Docker. It is intended for individuals, small businesses and organizations that want to manage their own email infrastructure rather than subscribe to a…

Read the review →
  1. DovecotMail Server Software 8.6Free plan
  2. mailcowMail Server Software 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Dovecot — where it wins

    • Free open-source Community Edition for self-hosted deployments
    • Supports IMAP, POP3, LMTP, and ManageSieve protocols
    • Indexing, caching, search, filtering, and plugin extensibility

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on mailbox access rather than a complete mail stack
    • No verified webmail or antispam features
    • Commercial Dovecot Pro pricing is not published as a mailbox plan

  • mailcow — where it wins

    • Includes Dovecot, SOGo, Rspamd, ClamAV and MariaDB components
    • Supports TOTP, YubiKey OTP and WebAuthn two-factor authentication
    • Provides mailbox migration tools and configurable message limits

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires self-hosted infrastructure and administrator-managed operations
    • Its platform model is limited to self-hosted deployments
    • The component-rich stack requires familiarity with mail infrastructure

More comparisons

All mail server software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update