Chatmail Relay vs mautrix-signal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Chatmail Relay
Minimal email server tuned for Delta Chat messaging
VS
mautrix-signal
Bridge connecting Signal messaging to Matrix
| Feature | Chatmail Relay | mautrix-signal |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 476 | ★ 666 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Signal |
Why pick each one
Choose mautrix-signal if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatmail Relay or mautrix-signal better?
Neither is universally better. mautrix-signal has the larger community, while Chatmail Relay is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chatmail Relay and mautrix-signal free and open-source?
Yes. Chatmail Relay is licensed under MPL-2.0 and mautrix-signal under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatmail Relay and mautrix-signal with Docker?
Chatmail Relay: yes. mautrix-signal: yes.