Mailu
Simple yet full-featured mail server as a set of Docker images.
Actively maintained with regular releases.
Commit activity more than 32% of tracked projects; popularity more than 74%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 7.5k |
|---|---|
| Latest release | 2024.06.59 · 23 Sept 2026 |
| Repo updated | 27 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | MIT |
| Built with | Docker, Python |
Is Mailu actively maintained?
Over the last 11 months the project absorbed 109 commits, of which 63 arrived in the most recent quarter — roughly 21 commits a month.
Activity is accelerating: the last quarter carried 125% more commits than the one before it.
The most recent tagged release, 2024.06.59, shipped within the last month — a current, installable version exists today.
Mailu ranks #6 of 18 in Communication - Email - Complete Solutions, placing it mid-table for maintenance activity.
What Mailu actually does
Mailu is a complete mail server packaged as a collection of Docker images. It provides standard email services through containerised components, managed with Python. It aims to offer a self-hosted communication backend without requiring complex manual configuration.
Best fit: It suits administrators who want to run their own email infrastructure using container orchestration tools rather than configuring raw postfix anddovecot packages by hand.
Worth knowing: Running a self-hosted mail server carries inherent operational burdens, particularly around IP reputation, spam filtering, and DNS record management like SPF and DKIM. Deliverability issues can be difficult to troubleshoot.
Deployment notes
Because it runs via Docker, you will need persistent volumes for your mail storage and database files. You will also typically need to configure external ports for SMTP and IMAP alongside a reverse proxy for the web administration interface.
Links
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