docker-mailserver

A complete mail server in one container, bundling Postfix, Dovecot, spam and virus filtering, configured through plain files.

19.7k stars, 2.1k forks Shell On GitHub since March 2015

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

docker-mailserver at a glance

Open sourceYes, MITNo paid parts in the repository
Health80 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDockerOne-click in Unraid
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~4 hoursMedian first reply; 73% of recent issues answered

What is docker-mailserver?

docker-mailserver packages a full email stack into a single container image. Postfix handles SMTP, Dovecot provides IMAP, POP3, Sieve filtering and quotas, and Rspamd, Amavis, SpamAssassin, ClamAV, Postscreen and Postgrey deal with spam and malware. OpenDKIM and OpenDMARC sign and verify mail, and Fail2ban blocks abusive clients. There is no SQL database: everything lives in configuration files, so the setup can be kept under version control. Accounts can authenticate against LDAP or through OAuth2, and a setup script covers routine administration.

Good fit if

  • You want to run mail for your own domains instead of paying for a hosted mailbox provider.
  • You manage infrastructure as files in git and want the mail server configured the same way.
  • You already run services in Docker and are comfortable with Postfix and Dovecot concepts.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need a transactional sending platform for websites and apps: Postal.
  • You want calendars, contacts, JMAP and a web admin interface in one server: Stalwart Mail Server.

Before you adopt it

The project is MIT-licensed with no paid parts in the repository. Originally created by Thomas Vial, it has been maintained by volunteers since January 2021, and 19 people contributed in the last 90 days. There is no web interface; you configure it through environment variables, files and the setup script, and the maintainers ask you to read the documentation matching your image version. Running your own mail server also means handling DNS records, certificates and deliverability yourself.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run docker-mailserver yourself

One-click install

  • Unraid

Not listed in Umbrel, YunoHost, TrueNAS, CasaOS, Runtipi, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and Coolify. Checked against each panel’s app catalog on 12 November 2026.

Ways to install

Docker files
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
compose.yaml: 1 service
Setup effort
1 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: docker-mailserver.github.io or the README on GitHub. Docker images and packages are checked weekly.

docker-mailserver health: is it still maintained?

80 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~26 days3 releases in 12 months; latest v17.0.0
Issue repliesWithin ~4 hoursMedian first reply; 73% of recent issues answered
Bus factorMedium riskThe most active of 20 authors wrote 51% of recent commits
  • Activity
    75 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 11 November 2026.
    23 / 30
  • Contributors
    20 people wrote the 75 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 51% of them.
    18 / 20
  • Releases
    3 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v17.0.0, on 5 November 2026.
    15 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 73% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 4 hours.
    18 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 5.7 of 10.
    6 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

docker-mailserver security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code. OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

Security advisoriesNone publishedNo advisories in the repository’s Security tab
OpenSSF Scorecard5.7 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyYesExplains how to report a vulnerability

What each Scorecard check found

  • Binary files10 / 10No compiled binaries checked into the repository
  • Dangerous workflows10 / 10No risky patterns in GitHub Actions
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Security policy10 / 10Explains how to report a vulnerability
  • Code review6 / 10Some changes are merged without review
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found
  • Token permissions0 / 10CI tokens have broad write rights

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 9 November 2026; checks that do not apply to docker-mailserver are left out.

docker-mailserver license: is it open source?

docker-mailserver uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. March 2015First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

docker-mailserver for developers

Written in

  • Shell 97%
  • Dockerfile 2%
  • Makefile <1%
  • BitBake <1%
  • Python <1%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Help wanted38Open, labelled “meta/help wanted”
Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues86On GitHub
Authors, 90 days20Of 75 commits
DonationsGitHub SponsorsListed on GitHub

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to docker-mailserver

  • Mailcowmailcow: dockerized - + = 74 health · GPL-3.0 · 13.8k stars
  • MailuInsular email distribution - mail server as Docker images 76 health · MIT · 7.6k stars
  • Stalwart Mail ServerAll-in-one Mail & Collaboration server. Secure, scalable and fluent in every protocol (IMAP, JMAP, SMTP,… 57 health · Unidentified license · 15.9k stars
  • ModoboaMail hosting made simple 71 health · ISC · 3.5k stars
  • Maddy Mail ServerComposable all-in-one mail server. 73 health · GPL-3.0 · 6.1k stars

All 17 projects in Email servers & webmail

Questions about docker-mailserver

Is docker-mailserver open source?

Yes. docker-mailserver is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is docker-mailserver still maintained?

Its health score is 80 of 100 (actively developed). It had 75 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 11 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 5 November 2026.

How do I run docker-mailserver?

You can run it with the Docker image ghcr.io/docker-mailserver/docker-mailserver and in one click from Unraid. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is docker-mailserver written in?

docker-mailserver is written mainly in Shell (97% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to docker-mailserver?

Close alternatives in the Email servers & webmail category include Mailcow, Mailu, Stalwart Mail Server.