# OpenWA vs Stalwart Mail Server

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

| | OpenWA | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 77/100 | 78/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #2 of 19 in API Management | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 16 334 ✓ | 15 451 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +328 | +667 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 3 | 30 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.26.0 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v1.0.0 · 26 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 77/100 for OpenWA, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 30 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for OpenWA.

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

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

## Details

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