# docker-mailserver vs Zulip

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

| | docker-mailserver | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 80/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 16 in Mail Server | #1 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 19 702 | 26 133 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +829 ✓ | +190 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 2 | 6 ✓ |
| Latest release | v16.0.1 · 4 Sept 2026 | 12.3 · 21 Sept 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Shell | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

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

Zulip ships more often: 6 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for docker-mailserver.

If you want the quickest setup, Zulip 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)
- [Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zulip.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-zulip)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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