# CookCLI vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | CookCLI | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 61/100 | 79/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #3 of 18 in Recipe Management | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 1 424 | 15 485 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +33 | +682 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.39.0 · 24 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Rust | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 79/100 against 61/100 for CookCLI, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 21 for CookCLI.

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

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+682 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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