mailcow vs Kualo
In short: Kualo wins on privacy, Kualo wins on price, and Kualo wins on features. The full comparison is below, last checked 25 October 2026.
Which should you choose?
- mailcow is the better pick if you want a free plan to start on; a calendar and contacts alongside your mail; and open-source apps.
- Kualo is the better pick if you want your mail kept in the United Kingdom.
| Feature | mailcow | Kualo |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Not rated | 3.0 |
| Privacy | Not rated | 2.5 |
| Price | Not rated | 3.5 |
| Features | Not rated | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Open source Free | Zimbra Professional Email From £3.99 per user a month (10 GB Zimbra mailbox, longer terms) |
| Free plan | Yes, open source | No |
| Storage | Not confirmed | 10 GB |
| Your own domain | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | No | No |
| Company based in | Germany | United Kingdom |
| Your data is kept in | Your own server | United Kingdom |
| Founded | Unknown | 2000 |
| Free trial | Free to download | 60-day money-back guarantee |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | No |
| Aliases | Yes | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | No |
| Sign up without ID | No | No |
| White label | Unknown | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 25 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
The key differences
- Cheapest plans: mailcow Open source, Free. Kualo Zimbra Professional Email, From £3.99 per user a month (10 GB Zimbra mailbox, longer terms).
- For free, mailcow gives you a free plan (open source), and Kualo no free plan.
- mailcow comes with storage not confirmed and Kualo with 10 GB of storage.
- mailcow keeps your mail in Your own server, while Kualo keeps it in the United Kingdom.
- mailcow is based in Germany and Kualo in the United Kingdom, so different privacy laws apply.
mailcow and Kualo: your questions
Do mailcow and Kualo work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. mailcow: Yes. Kualo: Yes.
Where do mailcow and Kualo keep my email?
mailcow keeps it in Your own server. Kualo keeps it in the United Kingdom.
Price changes and news
No price changes for either since 25 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: mailcow news · Kualo news.
Also worth a look
- mailbox.org4.5 out of 5 overall
- Proton Mail for Business4.0 out of 5 overall
- Tuta Business4.0 out of 5 overall
mailcow vs mailbox.org · Kualo vs mailbox.org · mailcow vs Proton Mail for Business · Kualo vs Proton Mail for Business · mailcow vs Tuta Business · Kualo vs Tuta Business
Moving your email
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.