Mail Server VPS — Host Your Own Email (Mailcow, Postfix)

Run your own mail server on a KVM VPS: working outbound SMTP, Mailcow/Postfix/Dovecot, unlimited mailboxes, your domain. EU server, crypto accepted, from €12/mo.

Why run your own mail

Hosted mail charges per mailbox per year, forever — and your correspondence sits in someone else's data centre. A mail server on your VPS flips both: one flat server price covers any number of addresses on your domains, and mails live on your disk. Mailcow bundles Postfix (SMTP), Dovecot (IMAP), a web client, calendars and contacts behind one panel, so the hard parts are configured rather than assembled by hand. The trade-off is honesty: running your own mail means caring about DNS records and reputation — that is the section below, not a footnote.

What actually drives deliverability

  • SPF, DKIM, DMARC — three DNS records; Mailcow generates the keys and prints the exact values.
  • Reverse DNS (PTR) — the IP should resolve to your mail hostname; check it before the first campaign.
  • Working outbound SMTP — Buran servers reach port 25 (verified against mx.google.com), so mail leaves the machine.
  • Reputation — start with real correspondence; mail servers earn trust letter by letter, not by volume.

Which plan fits a mail server

MailboxPlanWhy
Family, 1–5 addressesCore VPS 4 — €12/mo4 vCPU / 8 GB / 100 GB is far beyond a few IMAP mailboxes
Team of 5–15 with MailcowCore VPS 6 NVMe — €13/moNVMe keeps mailboxes fast; RAM covers antispam and SOGo calendars
Mail plus CRM, website, automationCore VPS 8 NVMe — €34/moRoom for the mail stack and everything that reads from it

From zero to first message

  1. Prepare the domain Create the A and MX records, then SPF, DKIM and DMARC — Mailcow's setup wizard shows the exact values to paste.
  2. Install Mailcow Clone `mailcow-dockerized`, set your hostname, `docker compose up -d` — the panel comes up on HTTPS. First-time Docker? Use the install Docker guide.
  3. Create accounts and test Add mailboxes, send to Gmail and Outlook, and read the headers: SPF/DKIM must show `pass` before you tell anyone your new address.
git clone https://github.com/mailcow/mailcow-dockerized
cd mailcow-dockerized
cp sample/mailcow.conf .
# set MAILCOW_HOSTNAME=mail.example.com in mailcow.conf
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
# panel: https://mail.example.com → Admin → Mailboxes

Quick answers

Will my letters land in spam?

Not because the server is self-hosted — but only if auth and reputation are in order. Mailcow sets up SPF, DKIM and DMARC with you; keep sending real correspondence first, inspect headers (all three should show `pass`), and warm the address up gradually. Buying lists or day-one bulk sends is how self-hosted servers get a bad name.

Is outbound port 25 open?

Yes — we checked a live SMTP handshake from a Buran server to mx.google.com (answer `220 ESMTP`). Inbound port 25 is up to your firewall: open it only if you relay mail for other hosts.

How many mailboxes fit?

There is no per-mailbox licence — the limit is disk and RAM. A Core VPS 4 comfortably serves a family or a small team; team suites with calendars and antispam want the NVMe tiers. Keep archives on the server or push them to Object Storage.

Mail on your terms Your domain, unlimited boxes, EU server, crypto accepted. Get a mail server →

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