Cloudreve 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?
Cloudreve
File management and sharing system, supports multiple storage
VS
Stalwart
All-in-one Mail & Collaboration server
| Feature | Cloudreve | Stalwart |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | GPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | Go | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 28,485 | ★ 14,059 |
| First released | 2026 | 2022 |
| Replaces | — | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Cloudreve if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 28.5k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
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 Cloudreve or Stalwart better?
Neither is universally better. Cloudreve 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 Cloudreve and Stalwart free and open-source?
Yes. Cloudreve is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stalwart under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cloudreve and Stalwart with Docker?
Cloudreve: yes. Stalwart: yes.