# nginx-ldap-auth vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | nginx-ldap-auth | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 43/100 | 79/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #31 of 40 in Authentication | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 709 | 15 470 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +0 | +667 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | BSD-2-Clause | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Python | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 79/100 against 43/100 for nginx-ldap-auth, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for nginx-ldap-auth.

If you want the quickest setup, Stalwart Mail Server is easier to run; nginx-ldap-auth needs more configuration.

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+667 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/nginx-ldap-auth-vs-stalwart-mail-server