chasquid vs Docker Mailserver
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted mail servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | chasquid | Docker Mailserver |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 977 | ★ 18,872 |
| First released | 2016 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Google Workspace | Google Workspace, Microsoft 365 |
What are chasquid and Docker Mailserver?
chasquid
chasquid is an SMTP server written in Go with a focus on being easy to configure and maintain for small personal mail servers. It handles message submission and delivery securely.
- Easy-to-configure SMTP server
- Automatic TLS via certificates
- SPF and DKIM support
- Lightweight Go implementation
Docker Mailserver
Docker Mailserver is a single-container mail server built on Postfix and Dovecot with no external database. It is configured entirely through files and environment variables for a reproducible setup.
- Single container, no database
- Postfix and Dovecot core
- SpamAssassin and ClamAV integration
- File-based configuration
chasquid vs Docker Mailserver: key differences
Chasquid is written in Go, while Docker Mailserver is built with Shell. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for chasquid versus MIT for Docker Mailserver. Chasquid is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Docker Mailserver. Docker Mailserver has the considerably larger community, at 18,872 GitHub stars versus 977.
Why pick each one
Choose chasquid if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- SMTP only, needs IMAP separately
- Small personal-use focus
Choose Docker Mailserver if…
- Reproducible, version-controllable config
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- No built-in webmail
- Requires comfort with mail concepts
Frequently asked questions
Is chasquid or Docker Mailserver better?
Neither is universally better. Docker Mailserver has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are chasquid and Docker Mailserver free and open-source?
Yes. chasquid is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Docker Mailserver under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run chasquid and Docker Mailserver with Docker?
chasquid: yes. Docker Mailserver: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, chasquid or Docker Mailserver?
chasquid has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Docker Mailserver. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.