# Dovel vs Forward Email

> Two self-hosted [Sendgrid alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/sendgrid), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Dovel | Forward Email |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 57/100 | 62/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #36 of 106 in Email | #18 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | — | 1 694 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +19 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 89 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v2.18.12 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | — | JavaScript |

## Which one should you pick?

Forward Email scores 62/100 against 57/100 for Dovel, so it is the safer default.

Forward Email ships more often: 89 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Dovel.

If you want the quickest setup, Dovel is easier to run; Forward Email needs more configuration.

Forward Email is growing faster right now (+19 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Dovel](https://selfhost.directory/project/dovel) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/dovel.md)
- [Forward Email](https://selfhost.directory/project/forward-email) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/forward-email.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/dovel-vs-forward-email