# Forward Email vs Postal

> 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.

| | Forward Email | Postal |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 72/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #18 of 106 in Email | #3 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 1 694 | 16 898 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +74 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 89 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | v2.18.12 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | 3.3.7 · 3 Jun 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Ruby |

## Which one should you pick?

Postal scores 72/100 against 62/100 for Forward Email, so it is the safer default.

Forward Email ships more often: 89 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Postal.

Postal is growing faster right now (+74 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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