# OpenDesign vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | OpenDesign | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 79/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 7 in Design | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 104 764 ✓ | 15 484 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 933 ✓ | +681 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 10 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | open-design-v0.26.1 · 22 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

OpenDesign scores 83/100 against 79/100 for Stalwart Mail Server, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 10 for OpenDesign.

OpenDesign is growing faster right now (+1 933 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

## Related comparisons

- [OpenDesign vs penpot](https://selfhost.directory/compare/open-design-vs-penpot)

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