# HQBase vs Mailu

> Two self-hosted [Email projects](https://selfhost.directory/email), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | HQBase | Mailu |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 50/100 | 69/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #56 of 106 in Email | #8 of 106 in Email |
| GitHub stars | 351 | 7 593 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +70 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 22 ✓ |
| Latest release | v1.4.5 · 12 Oct 2026 | 2024.06.67 · 23 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | No |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Typescript | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Mailu scores 69/100 against 50/100 for HQBase, so it is the safer default.

Mailu ships more often: 22 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for HQBase.

If you want the quickest setup, Mailu is easier to run; HQBase needs more configuration.

Mailu is growing faster right now (+70 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [HQBase](https://selfhost.directory/project/hqbase) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/hqbase.md)
- [Mailu](https://selfhost.directory/project/mailu) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mailu.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/hqbase-vs-mailu