# docker-mailserver vs Postal

> 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 | Postal |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #3 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 19 698 ✓ | 16 897 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +825 ✓ | +73 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 3 ✓ |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 ✓ | 3.3.7 · 3 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Shell | Ruby |

## Which one should you pick?

docker-mailserver scores 80/100 against 72/100 for Postal, so it is the safer default.

Postal ships more often: 3 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

docker-mailserver is growing faster right now (+825 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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