SHSelfHostIndex

Dovecot 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?
DO Dovecot Secure, high-performance IMAP and POP3 server VS ST Stalwart Mail Server Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary
FeatureDovecotStalwart Mail Server
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguageCRust
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, binary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,233★ 14,059
First released20022020
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange, Google Workspace

Why pick each one

Choose Dovecot if…

  • Very efficient and reliable
  • Industry standard
Dovecot details

Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…

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

Frequently asked questions

Is Dovecot 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 Dovecot if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Dovecot and Stalwart Mail Server free and open-source?

Yes. Dovecot is licensed under MIT and Stalwart Mail Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Dovecot and Stalwart Mail Server with Docker?

Dovecot: yes. Stalwart Mail Server: yes.

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