How to Install MailWizz on Ubuntu Server

Introduction

Email marketing remains one of the most effective digital marketing channels for engaging customers and driving conversions. While many SaaS email marketing platforms exist, self-hosted solutions provide greater control, flexibility, and ownership of data. MailWizz is a powerful self-hosted email marketing application built with PHP and MySQL, and proper mailwizz installation is essential to ensure optimal performance and reliability. It allows businesses to manage subscribers, automate campaigns, and send bulk emails efficiently. MailWizz is a commercial application. You must purchase a valid license key to download and use the software.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

• A VPS or dedicated server running Ubuntu
• SSH access with a user that has sudo privileges
• A registered domain name (recommended)
• A valid MailWizz license key

Step 1: Update system packages

Update your system packages to ensure everything is up to date:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install the LAMP Stack

MailWizz requires Apache, MySQL, and PHP. Install them using:

sudo apt install apache2 mysql-server php php-mysql php-curl php-json php-gd php-intl php-mbstring php-xml unzip

Step 3: Secure and Configure MySQL

Run the MySQL security script:

sudo mysql_secure_installation

Follow the prompts to:

• Set a root password
• Remove anonymous users
• Disable remote root login
• Remove test databases

Create MailWizz Database and User

Log in to MySQL and Run the following SQL commands:

mysql
CREATE DATABASE mailwizz_db;
CREATE USER 'mailwizz_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'Strong_Password';
GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON mailwizz_db.* TO 'mailwizz_user'@'localhost';
FLUSH PRIVILEGES;
EXIT;

Step 4: Purchase and Download MailWizz (License Required)

MailWizz cannot be downloaded without a valid license.

1. Purchase MailWizz from the official website
2. Log in to your MailWizz customer account.
3. Download the latest MailWizz ZIP package.

Upload the file to your server using SCP, SFTP, or FTP. Example using SCP:

scp mailwizz.zip user@your_server_ip:/var/www/html/

Step 5: Extract MailWizz Files

Navigate to the web directory and extract the files:

cd /var/www/html

sudo unzip mailwizz.zip
sudo mv mailwizz-* mailwizz

Set proper permissions:

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/mailwizz
sudo chmod -R 755 /var/www/html/mailwizz

Step 6: Apache Virtual Host Configuration

Create a new Apache configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/apache2/sites-available/mailwizz.conf

Add the following configuration (update domain name accordingly):

<VirtualHost *:80>
    ServerName yourdomain.com
    DocumentRoot /var/www/html/mailwizz

    <Directory /var/www/html/mailwizz>
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    </Directory>

    ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/mailwizz_error.log
    CustomLog ${APA
</VirtualHost>

Enable required Apache modules and site:

sudo a2enmod rewrite
sudo a2ensite mailwizz.conf
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Step 7: Final Installation Steps

Once all server configurations are complete, open your web browser and navigate to the MailWizz installer:

http://yourdomain.com/install/index.php

This will launch the web-based installation wizard. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the setup, including database configuration, license key verification, and administrator account creation.

Remove the Install Directory

After the installation finishes successfully, you must remove the install directory for security reasons. Run the following command on your server:

sudo rm -rf /var/www/html/mailwizz/install

Leaving the install folder in place can expose your application to security risks.

Access the MailWizz Admin Panel

Once the install directory has been removed, you can access the MailWizz backend (admin panel) using:

http://yourdomain.com/backend

Log in using the administrator credentials you created during installation to start managing subscribers, campaigns, and email delivery settings.

Conclusion

Installing MailWizz gives you a robust, self-hosted email marketing platform with full control over your data and campaigns. While the setup requires careful configuration, following this guide ensures a smooth and secure installation. Once installed, MailWizz offers powerful tools for managing subscribers, automations, and high-volume email campaigns effectively.

If you need expert help with mailwizz installation on an Ubuntu server or want a secure, optimized setup without errors, partnering with professionals makes all the difference. With reliable Linux server management services, you can ensure proper configuration, performance tuning, security hardening, and ongoing support for your MailWizz environment. Contact an experienced server management team today to get MailWizz installed correctly and running smoothly on your Ubuntu server.