# openpencil vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | openpencil | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 73/100 | 79/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 7 in Design | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 9 415 | 15 482 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +814 ✓ | +679 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 14 | 31 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.16.0 · 14 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 79/100 against 73/100 for openpencil, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 14 for openpencil.

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

## Details

- [openpencil](https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/openpencil.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/openpencil-vs-stalwart-mail-server