Forward Emailvschatmail relay
Two self-hosted Email projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Forward Email | chatmail relay | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 62/100 | 53/100 |
| Rank in category | #18 of 106 in Email | #47 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 1 695 | 494 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +18 | +1 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 89 | 6 |
| Latest release | v2.18.12 · 28 Oct 2026 | 1.13.0 · 22 Sept 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | MIT |
| Main language | JavaScript | Python |
Which one should you pick?
Forward Email scores 62/100 against 53/100 for chatmail relay, so it is the safer default.
Forward Email ships more often: 89 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for chatmail relay.
Forward Email is growing faster right now (+18 stars in 30 days).
Forward Email details →chatmail relay details →All Email projects →
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