# elasticsearch vs Postal

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

| | elasticsearch | Postal |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 72/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 41 in Search Engines | #3 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 78 421 ✓ | 16 899 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +452 ✓ | +75 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 32 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v9.5.5 · 6 Oct 2026 ✓ | 3.3.7 · 3 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | Java | Ruby |

## Which one should you pick?

elasticsearch scores 83/100 against 72/100 for Postal, so it is the safer default.

elasticsearch ships more often: 32 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Postal.

elasticsearch is growing faster right now (+452 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/elasticsearch-vs-postal