mailcow vs Names.co.uk
On privacy it's Names.co.uk. On price it's Names.co.uk. On features it's Names.co.uk. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
mailcow or Names.co.uk: which should you choose?
- mailcow is the better pick if you want a free plan to start on; your diary and address book in one place with your email; and apps whose code is public.
- Names.co.uk is the better pick if you want your mail kept in the United Kingdom.
| Feature | mailcow | Names.co.uk |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | Not rated | 2.5 |
| Privacy | Not rated | 2.5 |
| Price | Not rated | 2.0 |
| Features | Not rated | 3.5 |
| Cheapest plan | Open source Free | Email £9.99 per user a month (£1 for the first month), or £109.89 a year |
| Free plan | Yes, open source | No |
| Storage | Not confirmed | 5 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 | Unknown |
| Free trial | Free to download | £1 for the first month |
| 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 |
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Where they differ
- On price: mailcow Open source at Free, against Names.co.uk Email at £9.99 per user a month (£1 for the first month), or £109.89 a year.
- For free, mailcow gives you a free plan (open source), and Names.co.uk no free plan.
- mailcow comes with storage not confirmed and Names.co.uk with 5 GB of storage.
- Data location: Your own server for mailcow, United Kingdom for Names.co.uk.
- mailcow is based in Germany and Names.co.uk in the United Kingdom, so different privacy laws apply.
Common questions
Do mailcow and Names.co.uk work with my own domain?
Yes, both do. mailcow: Yes. Names.co.uk: Yes.
Where do mailcow and Names.co.uk keep my email?
mailcow keeps it in Your own server. Names.co.uk keeps it in the United Kingdom.
Price changes and news
Neither price has changed since my first check on 25 October 2026.
The latest headlines: mailcow news · Names.co.uk news.
Not sold on either? Try these
- 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 · Names.co.uk vs mailbox.org · mailcow vs Proton Mail for Business · Names.co.uk vs Proton Mail for Business · mailcow vs Tuta Business · Names.co.uk vs Tuta Business
Switching between them
Whichever you choose, the move follows the same steps. Pick your two providers for the steps.