IONOS Mail vs mailcow
IONOS Mail wins on privacy, IONOS Mail wins on price and IONOS Mail wins on features. Every fact below was checked on or before 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- IONOS Mail is the better pick if you want your mailbox stored in the UK data centre in Worcester; and where email sits not confirmed.
- mailcow suits you best if you want a free plan before you pay anything; a calendar and contacts alongside your mail; and open-source apps.
| Feature | IONOS Mail | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.0 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 2.5 | Not rated |
| Price | 4.5 | Not rated |
| Features | 3.0 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Mail Basic About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed) | Open source Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes, open source |
| Storage | 2 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | Germany | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed | Your own server |
| Founded | 1988 | Unknown |
| Free trial | Unknown | Free to download |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | No | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Open-source apps | No | ✓ Yes |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | Unknown | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
Where they differ
- IONOS Mail's cheapest plan is Mail Basic (About £1–£2 a month (not confirmed)); mailcow's is Open source (Free).
- For free, IONOS Mail gives you no free plan, and mailcow a free plan (open source).
- IONOS Mail comes with 2 GB of storage and mailcow with storage not confirmed.
- Your mail is stored in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed with IONOS Mail, and in Your own server with mailcow.
IONOS Mail and mailcow: your questions
Do IONOS Mail and mailcow work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. IONOS Mail: Yes. mailcow: Yes.
Where do IONOS Mail and mailcow keep my email?
IONOS Mail keeps it in the UK data centre in Worcester; where email sits not confirmed. mailcow keeps it in Your own server.
Price changes and news
I haven't seen either change its price since I started checking on 22 October 2026.
The latest headlines: IONOS Mail news · mailcow news.
Not sold on either? Try these
- mailbox.org4.5 out of 5 overall
- Tuta Business4.0 out of 5 overall
- Proton Mail for Business4.0 out of 5 overall
IONOS Mail vs mailbox.org · mailcow vs mailbox.org · IONOS Mail vs Tuta Business · mailcow vs Tuta Business · IONOS Mail vs Proton Mail for Business · mailcow vs Proton Mail for Business
Moving your email
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.