SHSelfHostIndex

Stalwart Mail Server vs Horde Groupware

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — 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 HO Horde Groupware PHP groupware suite with webmail and calendaring
FeatureStalwart Mail ServerHorde Groupware
CategoryMail ServersGroupware
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-2.0
LanguageRustPHP
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metalbare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 14,059★ 243
First released20202003
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 Horde Groupware if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Written in PHP
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Horde Groupware details

Frequently asked questions

Is Stalwart Mail Server or Horde Groupware better?

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

Are Stalwart Mail Server and Horde Groupware free and open-source?

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

Can I run Stalwart Mail Server and Horde Groupware with Docker?

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

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