# Mailcow vs RustDesk Server

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Mailcow | RustDesk Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 ✓ | 75/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 106 in Email | #4 of 22 in Remote Desktop |
| GitHub stars | 13 713 ✓ | 10 626 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +215 ✓ | +177 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 16 ✓ | 2 |
| Latest release | 2026-10 · 21 Oct 2026 ✓ | 1.1.16 · 20 Jul 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | JavaScript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Mailcow scores 77/100 against 75/100 for RustDesk Server, so it is the safer default.

Mailcow ships more often: 16 stable releases in the past year, against 2 for RustDesk Server.

If you want the quickest setup, RustDesk Server is easier to run; Mailcow needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Mailcow](https://selfhost.directory/project/mailcow) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/mailcow.md)
- [RustDesk Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rustdesk-server.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/mailcow-vs-rustdesk-server