Rocket.ChatvsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Rocket.Chat | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 46 348 | 15 464 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +187 | +680 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 36 | 31 |
| Latest release | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | Typescript | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Rocket.Chat scores 82/100 against 78/100 for Stalwart Mail Server, so it is the safer default.
Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 31 for Stalwart Mail Server.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+680 stars in 30 days).
Rocket.Chat details →Stalwart Mail Server details →
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