GiraffilevsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Giraffile | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 45/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #62 of 86 in File Sharing | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 187 | 15 458 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +674 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 1 | 30 |
| Latest release | versions · 19 Aug 2026 | v1.0.0 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | JavaScript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 45/100 for Giraffile, so it is the safer default.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 30 stable releases in the past year, against 1 for Giraffile.
If you want the quickest setup, Giraffile is easier to run; Stalwart Mail Server needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+674 stars in 30 days).
Giraffile details →Stalwart Mail Server details →