CitadelvsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Citadel | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 63/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 30 in Calendar & Contacts | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | — | 15 462 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +678 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 31 |
| Latest release | — | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | — | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 63/100 for Citadel, so it is the safer default.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Citadel.
If you want the quickest setup, Stalwart Mail Server is easier to run; Citadel needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+678 stars in 30 days).
Citadel details →Stalwart Mail Server details →
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