NextermvsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Nexterm | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 79/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 6 in Administration | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 5 114 | 15 479 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +63 | +676 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 31 |
| Latest release | — | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | JavaScript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Stalwart Mail Server scores 79/100 against 64/100 for Nexterm, so it is the safer default.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Nexterm.
If you want the quickest setup, Nexterm is easier to run; Stalwart Mail Server needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+676 stars in 30 days).
Nexterm details →Stalwart Mail Server details →
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