Mailpile 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?
Mailpile
Privacy-focused, searchable email client
VS
Stalwart Mail Server
Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary
| Feature | Mailpile | Stalwart Mail Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,825 | ★ 14,059 |
| First released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Gmail | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace |
Why pick each one
Choose Mailpile if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Mature project with 8.8k GitHub stars
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…
- Single modern binary
- Strong security defaults
Frequently asked questions
Is Mailpile or Stalwart Mail Server better?
Neither is universally better. Stalwart Mail Server has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mailpile and Stalwart Mail Server free and open-source?
Yes. Mailpile is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Stalwart Mail Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mailpile and Stalwart Mail Server with Docker?
Mailpile: check the project docs for container support. Stalwart Mail Server: yes.