ShlinkvsStalwart Mail Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| Shlink | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 70/100 | 78/100 |
| Rank in category | #3 of 23 in URL Shortener | #2 of 16 in Mail Server |
| GitHub stars | 5 380 | 15 464 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +77 | +680 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 13 | 31 |
| Latest release | v5.1.8 · 21 Oct 2026 | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL |
| Main language | PHP | Rust |
Which one should you pick?
Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 70/100 for Shlink, so it is the safer default.
Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 13 for Shlink.
If you want the quickest setup, Shlink is easier to run; Stalwart Mail Server needs more configuration.
Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+680 stars in 30 days).
Shlink details →Stalwart Mail Server details →