# Neko vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | Neko | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 22 in Remote Desktop | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 22 562 ✓ | 15 444 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +187 | +660 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 4 | 30 ✓ |
| Latest release | v3.2.0 · 15 Oct 2026 | v1.0.0 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Neko and Stalwart Mail Server score the same (78/100), so the choice comes down to the details below.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 30 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for Neko.

If you want the quickest setup, Stalwart Mail Server is easier to run; Neko needs more configuration.

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+660 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Neko](https://selfhost.directory/project/neko) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/neko.md)
- [Stalwart Mail Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/neko-vs-stalwart-mail-server