docker-mailserver
Production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.) running inside a container. Only configuration files, no SQL database.
- Email Servers
- Shell
- MIT
- Docker
- Actively maintained
GitHub stats
- GitHub stars
- 18,903
- Forks
- 2,050
- Open issues
- 85
- Commits, last 12 months
- 107
- Last commit
- Oct 4, 2026
- Latest release
- v16.0.1Sep 4, 2026
- Created
- Mar 28, 2015
Data from the GitHub API, refreshed daily.
About docker-mailserver
Production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.) running inside a container. Only configuration files, no SQL database. docker-mailserver is open source under the MIT license and written mainly in Shell, so you can read the code, run it on your own hardware and keep full control of your data.
The project has 18,903 stars and 2,050 forks on GitHub, with 107 commits over the last year. It ships a Docker image, which makes it a good fit for a small VPS or a home server running Docker Compose.
Topics
- mailserver
- postfix
- dovecot
- ldap
- fail2ban
- imap
- smtp
- container
- rspamd
Open-source alternative to
docker-mailserver can replace these commercial products. Compare every option on each page.
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What is docker-mailserver?
docker-mailserver is a free, open-source app you can host on your own server, listed in our Email Servers category. Production-ready fullstack but simple mail server (SMTP, IMAP, LDAP, Antispam, Antivirus, etc.) running inside a container. Only configuration files, no SQL database. The source code lives at github.com/docker-mailserver/docker-mailserver, where it has 18,903 stars.
Is docker-mailserver free and open source?
Yes. docker-mailserver is open-source software released under the MIT license, so you can self-host it at no cost. You only pay for the server it runs on, and some projects also offer an optional paid cloud plan.
Can I run docker-mailserver with Docker?
Yes. docker-mailserver provides a Docker image, so you can run it on any Linux server with Docker and Docker Compose installed. The project README lists the image name and the environment variables to set.
What are the best alternatives to docker-mailserver?
Popular open-source alternatives to docker-mailserver include Postal, Mail-in-a-Box and Stalwart Mail Server. docker-mailserver itself is a self-hosted alternative to Gmail.
Is docker-mailserver actively maintained?
The most recent commit to docker-mailserver was on Oct 4, 2026 with 107 commits in the past twelve months. The latest release is v16.0.1, published Sep 4, 2026. Check the open issues on GitHub to gauge how quickly maintainers respond.