# Rocket.Chat vs Stalwart 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 | 46 349 ✓ | 15 465 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +188 | +681 ✓ |
| 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 (+681 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)
- [Stalwart Mail Server](https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/stalwart-mail-server.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-rocketchat)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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