# Stalwart Mail Server vs Takahē

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

| | Stalwart Mail Server | Takahē |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 78/100 ✓ | 53/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 16 in Mail Server | #4 of 5 in Fediverse |
| GitHub stars | 15 465 ✓ | 1 171 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +681 | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL | BSD-3-Clause |
| Main language | Rust | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 78/100 against 53/100 for Takahē, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Takahē.

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

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+681 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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