# altcha vs docker-mailserver

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | altcha | docker-mailserver |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 63/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 4 in Anti-Spam | #1 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 2 857 | 19 704 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +81 | +830 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 18 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | v3.5.0 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Typescript | Shell |

## Which one should you pick?

docker-mailserver scores 80/100 against 63/100 for altcha, so it is the safer default.

altcha ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

If you want the quickest setup, altcha is easier to run; docker-mailserver needs more configuration.

docker-mailserver is growing faster right now (+830 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [altcha](https://selfhost.directory/project/altcha) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/altcha.md)
- [docker-mailserver](https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-mailserver) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/docker-mailserver.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/altcha-vs-docker-mailserver