# Answer vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | Answer | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 ✓ | 15 464 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +20 | +680 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 71/100 for Answer, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for Answer.

If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; Stalwart Mail Server needs more configuration.

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+680 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Answer](https://selfhost.directory/project/answer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/answer.md)
- [Stalwart Mail Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/answer-vs-stalwart-mail-server