Posteo vs mailcow
On privacy it's Posteo. On price it's Posteo. On features it's Posteo. Here's everything side by side, last checked 25 October 2026.
Posteo or mailcow: which should you choose?
- Posteo is the better pick if you want your email to stay in Germany and sign-up without ID.
- mailcow suits you best if you want to try it free first and to use your own domain, like you@yourname.co.uk.
| Feature | Posteo | mailcow |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 4.5 | Not rated |
| Privacy | 4.5 | Not rated |
| Price | 5.0 | Not rated |
| Features | 3.0 | Not rated |
| Cheapest plan | Posteo €1 a month | Open source Free |
| Free plan | No | Yes, open source |
| Storage | 4 GB | Not confirmed |
| Your own domain | No | ✓ Yes |
| End-to-end encryption | Optional (PGP or encrypted storage) | No |
| Company based in | Germany | Germany |
| Your data is kept in | Germany | Your own server |
| Founded | 2009 | Unknown |
| Free trial | No, €1 a month from the start | Free to download |
| Funded by advertising | No | No |
| Works in any mail app | ✓ IMAP and SMTP | ✓ IMAP and SMTP |
| Calendar and contacts | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Aliases | Yes (posteo.de only) | Yes |
| Open-source apps | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Sign up without ID | ✓ Yes | No |
| White label | No | Unknown |
| Reader offer | None | None |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026 | 25 October 2026 |
Want to add another? Open this in the compare tool.
How Posteo and mailcow differ
- Cheapest plans: Posteo Posteo, €1 a month. mailcow Open source, Free.
- For free, Posteo gives you no free plan, and mailcow a free plan (open source).
- Posteo comes with 4 GB of storage and mailcow with storage not confirmed.
- Data location: Germany for Posteo, Your own server for mailcow.
- Posteo offers optional encryption (PGP or encrypted storage); mailcow doesn't encrypt mail end to end.
- mailcow lets you bring your own domain name; Posteo doesn't.
- For extra addresses, Posteo has yes (posteo.de only) and mailcow has yes.
Posteo and mailcow: your questions
Do Posteo and mailcow work with my own domain?
Only mailcow does (Yes). With Posteo your address stays on its own domain.
Where do Posteo and mailcow keep my email?
Posteo keeps it in Germany. mailcow keeps it in Your own server.
Recent price changes
No price changes for either since 22 October 2026. I check regularly and add any change here with its date.
The latest headlines: Posteo news · mailcow news.
Alternatives to Posteo and mailcow
Posteo vs mailbox.org · mailcow vs mailbox.org · Posteo vs Proton Mail · mailcow vs Proton Mail · Posteo vs Tuta · mailcow vs Tuta
How to switch
Moving to Posteo · Moving from Posteo. Or see all my switching guides.