EMQXvsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| EMQX | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 14 in Messaging | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 16 868 | 15 464 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +114 | +680 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 31 |
| Latest release | 6.3.2 · 16 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Erlang | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
EMQX and Stalwart Mail Server score the same (78/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 15 for EMQX.
If you want the quickest setup, Stalwart Mail Server is easier to run; EMQX needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+680 stars in 30 days).
EMQX details →Stalwart Mail Server details →