SHSelfHostIndex

Cyrus IMAP vs Stalwart Mail Server

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
CY Cyrus IMAP Scalable IMAP and POP server for large deployments VS ST Stalwart Mail Server Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary
FeatureCyrus IMAPStalwart Mail Server
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseBSD-3-ClauseAGPL-3.0
LanguageCRust
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker, binary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 641★ 14,059
First released19942020
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange, Google Workspace

Why pick each one

Choose Cyrus IMAP if…

  • Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
  • Written in C
Cyrus IMAP details

Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…

  • Single modern binary
  • Strong security defaults
Stalwart Mail Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Cyrus IMAP or Stalwart Mail Server better?

Stalwart Mail Server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Cyrus IMAP if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Cyrus IMAP and Stalwart Mail Server free and open-source?

Yes. Cyrus IMAP is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and Stalwart Mail Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Cyrus IMAP and Stalwart Mail Server with Docker?

Cyrus IMAP: check the project docs for container support. Stalwart Mail Server: yes.

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