SHSelfHostIndex

Postfix 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?
PO Postfix Fast, secure and reliable mail transfer agent VS ST Stalwart Mail Server Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary
FeaturePostfixStalwart Mail Server
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseIPL-1.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageCRust
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metal, sourcedocker, binary, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 563★ 14,059
First released19982020
ReplacesMicrosoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange, Google Workspace

Why pick each one

Choose Postfix if…

  • Battle-tested and stable
  • Extensive documentation
Postfix details

Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…

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

Frequently asked questions

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

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

Yes. Postfix is licensed under IPL-1.0 and Stalwart Mail Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Postfix and Stalwart Mail Server with Docker?

Postfix: yes. Stalwart Mail Server: yes.

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