# docker-mailserver vs Karakeep

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

| | docker-mailserver | Karakeep |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #1 of 46 in Bookmarks & Link Sharing |
| GitHub stars | 19 700 | 30 129 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +827 | +881 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 5 ✓ |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 | v0.34.1 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Shell | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Karakeep scores 82/100 against 80/100 for docker-mailserver, so it is the safer default.

Karakeep ships more often: 5 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

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

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [Karakeep vs LinkWarden](https://selfhost.directory/compare/karakeep-vs-linkwarden)

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