Ceph vs Stalwart
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Ceph
Distributed object, block, and file storage platform
VS
Stalwart
All-in-one Mail & Collaboration server
| Feature | Ceph | Stalwart |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | free |
| Language | C++ | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, bare-metal | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 16,905 | ★ 14,059 |
| First released | 2006 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Amazon S3, Google Drive | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Ceph if…
- Released under the LGPL-2.1 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 16.9k GitHub stars
Choose Stalwart if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 14.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Ceph or Stalwart better?
Neither is universally better. Ceph has the larger community, while Stalwart is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ceph and Stalwart free and open-source?
Yes. Ceph is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Stalwart under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ceph and Stalwart with Docker?
Ceph: yes. Stalwart: yes.