SHSelfHostIndex

Stalwart Mail Server vs Exim

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?
ST Stalwart Mail Server Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary VS EX Exim Flexible and widely deployed mail transfer agent
FeatureStalwart Mail ServerExim
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageRustC
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM512 MB64 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metalbare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 14,059★ 786
First released20201995
ReplacesMicrosoft Exchange, Google WorkspaceMicrosoft Exchange

Why pick each one

Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…

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

Choose Exim if…

  • Extremely flexible
  • Proven at scale
Exim details

Frequently asked questions

Is Stalwart Mail Server or Exim better?

Stalwart Mail Server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Exim if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

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

Yes. Stalwart Mail Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Exim under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Stalwart Mail Server and Exim with Docker?

Stalwart Mail Server: yes. Exim: check the project docs for container support.

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