# Stalwart Mail Server vs umbrel

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

| | Stalwart Mail Server | umbrel |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 79/100 ✓ | 52/100 |
| Rank in category | #2 of 16 in Mail Server | #9 of 22 in Home Server |
| GitHub stars | 15 473 ✓ | 434 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +670 ✓ | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 31 ✓ | 4 |
| Latest release | v1.0.1 · 28 Oct 2026 ✓ | v2.0.0 · 2 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0-only AND LicenseRef-SEL | MIT |
| Main language | Rust | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Stalwart Mail Server scores 79/100 against 52/100 for umbrel, so it is the safer default.

Stalwart Mail Server ships more often: 31 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for umbrel.

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

Stalwart Mail Server is growing faster right now (+670 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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