# Bichon vs docker-mailserver

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

| | Bichon | docker-mailserver |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 80/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #18 of 106 in Email | #1 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 2 056 | 19 700 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +93 | +827 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | 2.2.0 · 20 Oct 2026 ✓ | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Shell |

## Which one should you pick?

docker-mailserver scores 80/100 against 62/100 for Bichon, so it is the safer default.

Bichon ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

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

docker-mailserver is growing faster right now (+827 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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