# Can I use Mailcow on Linux VPS?
Source: https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/technical-questions/mailcow-on-linux-vps
Last reviewed: 2026-07-02
Summary: Yes, Mailcow runs fine on Linux VPS today (it's Docker-based, and Docker works out of the box). Mind the requirements, RAM, rDNS, and above all our email policy, personal/transactional mail is fine, bulk sending is not.

## What this is

**Yes.** Mailcow (dockerized) runs fine on our Linux VPS today. Older versions of this answer said no, that was our previous virtualization platform, and it no longer applies. Mailcow is Docker-based, and [Docker works out of the box](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/technical-questions/docker-on-vps), so Mailcow's standard install guide applies unchanged. (Premium VPS runs it too, of course.)

## Before you install

- **Size it right.** Mailcow's own requirements ask for several GB of RAM (ClamAV and Solr are the heavy parts); a **6 GB plan** is a comfortable floor for a personal or small-team setup.
- **Set reverse DNS.** Deliverability lives and dies on it: set the **PTR** for your IP to your mail hostname from the [Network](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/client-area/services/network) tab, and make sure the A record matches back. Add SPF, DKIM (Mailcow generates it), and DMARC in your [DNS](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/getting-started/pointing-your-domain), the full deliverability checklist with testing tools is in [Emails from my VPS go to spam](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/troubleshooting/emails-going-to-spam).
- **Read the [email policy](https://vpsdime.com/knowledgebase/acceptable-use/email-policy) first.** Outbound port 25 is open, and personal, team, and transactional mail is exactly what it's open for. **Bulk or marketing mail is forbidden**, our monitors block SMTP on mass-mail emission, and a blacklisted IP carries a $250-per-blacklist charge. A self-hosted mail server is for *your* mail, not a sending platform.

## Our honest take

Running your own mail is genuinely satisfying and Mailcow is the best tooling for it, but it's the most unforgiving thing you can self-host: deliverability, reputation, and upkeep are ongoing work. If you just need reliable mailboxes with zero maintenance, hosted mail is less pain; if you want to own your stack, Mailcow on a right-sized VPS with correct DNS is a fine home for it.

## Still need help?

You can [open a support ticket](https://vpsdime.com/open-ticket/). So we can help on the first reply, it's worth mentioning:

- the VPS hostname or IP and the mail domain,
- where the Mailcow setup stops, with the exact error.

## Related questions

- "Does Mailcow work on your Linux VPS?"
- "Can I run a mail server on my VPS?"
- "How much RAM does Mailcow need?"
- "What DNS records do I need for Mailcow?"