# docker-mailserver vs Understudy

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

| | docker-mailserver | Understudy |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 ✓ | 48/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #110 of 209 in AI Agents |
| GitHub stars | 19 702 ✓ | 465 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +829 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 | — |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Main language | Shell | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

docker-mailserver scores 80/100 against 48/100 for Understudy, so it is the safer default.

docker-mailserver ships more often: 2 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Understudy.

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

docker-mailserver is growing faster right now (+829 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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