NightingalevsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Nightingale | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #15 of 54 in Media Streaming | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 1 522 | 15 464 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +680 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 31 |
| Latest release | v1.3.0 · 15 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 58/100 for Nightingale, so it is the safer default.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for Nightingale.
If you want the quickest setup, Stalwart Mail Server is easier to run; Nightingale needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+680 stars in 30 days).
Nightingale details →Stalwart Mail Server details →
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