# docker-mailserver vs Haraka

> Two self-hosted [Mail Server projects](https://selfhost.directory/mail-server), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | docker-mailserver | Haraka |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 67/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #6 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 19 704 ✓ | 5 627 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +830 ✓ | +10 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 13 ✓ |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 | v3.3.5 · 17 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Shell | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

docker-mailserver scores 80/100 against 67/100 for Haraka, so it is the safer default.

Haraka ships more often: 13 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

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

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

## Details

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

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