Gmail / Google Workspace vs mailcow: dockerized
Thinking of swapping Gmail / Google Workspace for the open-source mailcow: dockerized? Here’s the honest trade-off.
13k PHP GPL-3.0 11 days ago
What you give up vs Gmail / Google Workspace
- Requires a dedicated server with proper DNS/PTR and good IP reputation
- Not a bulk-newsletter tool — focused on mailboxes, not campaigns
- Ongoing maintenance, updates, and spam tuning are on you
- Resource-hungry; needs a few GB of RAM minimum
What you gain
- • Full data ownership — self-host mailcow: dockerized on your own infrastructure.
- • No per-seat SaaS bill (Gmail / Google Workspace: per-mailbox fees and data privacy).
- • Open-source code you can audit and extend (GPL-3.0).