your own mail server, scored 9/10+ on mail-tester, in 48 hours.
Self-hosting mailcow is a 10–15 hour task — and most people who try it never break past a 7/10 deliverability score. We install it on your VPS, lock down DKIM/SPF/DMARC, warm the IP, and hand you a real mail-tester proof. Flat $299. Refund if we miss the score.
the proof we send our own mail with.
our mailcow · scored 2026-05-09
how this works.
five steps · ~48 hours wall-clock · ~7 days warmup
-
You fill in the intake (5 min).
VPS provider, your target mail domain, root SSH access (we recommend a temporary key you revoke after we're done). Optional: registrar API key for automatic DNS, or we hand you a copy-paste DNS block.
t = 0 -
Owner reviews the playbook.
We generate an Ansible plan for your specific VPS (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Debian 12 supported). It's reviewed by a human before anything runs on your box. No surprise commands.
t + ~4h · 0 destructive ops in dry-run -
mailcow installs.
Standard mailcow-dockerized upstream — no forks, no patches. We add DKIM keys, the SPF/DMARC records, a reverse-DNS request to your VPS provider (we draft the email), and rspamd tuning that earned us our 10/10.
t + ~12h -
We warm the IP for ~7 days.
Small, monitored batches sent from your new mailcow to our seed inboxes. We watch queue health, spam-folder placement, and reputation. You see a daily one-line report.
t + 1 → t + 7 days -
Final mail-tester proof + runbook.
A real mail-tester URL with score ≥ 9/10, the credentials handover, and a 14-page PDF runbook covering daily ops, backups, certificate renewal, and what to do if the score ever drops. If we miss the score, you get a full refund — no clauses.
t + ~48h delivery · score-or-refund at handover
price.
one number · no upsells in the checkout
- mailcow installation on your VPS (Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 or Debian 12)
- DKIM 2048-bit, SPF, DMARC p=quarantine configured
- reverse-DNS request drafted for your VPS provider
- 7-day controlled IP warmup against our seed inboxes
- final mail-tester score ≥ 9/10 — or full refund
- 14-page setup + ops runbook (PDF)
- 14 days of post-handover support for setup-related issues
Optional, after handover: $49/month monitoring — blacklist alerts, queue health, reputation watch. Offered separately, never bundled at checkout.
what the runbook actually contains.
14 pages · PDF · plain English with copy-paste commands
# mailcow ops runbook — table of contents 01 Your stack, in one diagram 02 DNS records (with exact strings) 03 Logging in · admin password · 2FA setup 04 Creating mailboxes · aliases · catch-all 05 Daily ops: queue, logs, what "healthy" looks like 06 Backups: where they live, how to restore 07 TLS certificates: renewal · troubleshooting 08 If your mail-tester score drops: a checklist 09 Blacklist incident response (one-pager) 10 Reverse-DNS: how to renegotiate later 11 Upgrading mailcow safely 12 Migrating mailboxes off (it's your data) 13 Security: firewall, fail2ban, rspamd weights 14 Glossary · further reading # nothing in here is locked to vøiddo. you own it.
frequently asked.
honest answers · scroll for more
What do you need from me?
Three things: (1) a fresh VPS with a clean IP — we'll recommend providers known to be reachable; (2) the mail domain you want to send from; (3) temporary root SSH access (a key you can revoke after handover). If you want us to push DNS automatically, optionally your registrar's API key — otherwise we hand you a copy-paste DNS block.
What VPS providers do you recommend?
Hetzner Cloud, Contabo, and OVH have worked best for us — most other reputable providers are fine. We avoid AWS / GCP / Azure for outbound SMTP because their default IP ranges are pre-blocklisted by many receivers and require warming for weeks, not days.
What if my VPS is already blacklisted?
We check before we start. If the IP shows up on Spamhaus / Barracuda / SORBS, we tell you on day one and recommend a fresh VPS. The $299 doesn't cover delisting work on a previously-spammed IP — that's not solvable in 48 hours.
Why $299 — what does the price actually pay for?
It pays for someone who has done this enough times to skip the wrong turns. Self-hosters who DIY mailcow report 10–15 hours and often stall at a 7/10 score because rspamd, DKIM key length, DMARC alignment, and rDNS each have a sharp edge. We have a checklist that has earned a 10/10 on our own mailcow.
Will my data ever leave my VPS?
No. The install runs on your box, the mailboxes live on your box, the backups go where you decide (we recommend your VPS's own snapshot product). We get temporary SSH access during setup and warmup; you revoke it on handover.
What if I cancel mid-setup?
Before any code runs on your VPS: full refund. After install but before final mail-tester: 50% refund — the playbook generation and DNS work are already done. After handover at 9/10+: refunds are score-based per the guarantee.
Is this a managed service?
No, this is one-time setup. You own the box and operate it from day 1 with the runbook. If you'd like ongoing eyes on it, the optional $49/month monitoring watches blacklists, queue health, and reputation — offered after handover, never bundled at checkout.
Who is "vøiddo"?
A small independent studio. We've shipped a published WordPress.org plugin, a live Paddle merchant for a separate product, and run our own deliverability stack — which is the same stack you're getting. There is no AI doing the install: a human reviews every Ansible playbook before it touches your VPS.
start a setup.
we reply within a few hours, payment happens via paddle
tell us about the setup.
No payment yet — this just queues a ticket. We reply with a price-locked Paddle link and the exact playbook we'd run on your VPS before you pay a cent.
Prefer to talk first? Email setup@voiddo.com — we reply within a few hours.