Stalwart Mail Server vs Nextcloud Mail
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?
Stalwart Mail Server
Modern all-in-one mail server in a single binary
VS
Nextcloud Mail
IMAP webmail client integrated into Nextcloud
| Feature | Stalwart Mail Server | Nextcloud Mail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Mail Servers |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 14,059 | ★ 1,014 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Microsoft Exchange, Google Workspace | Gmail |
Why pick each one
Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…
- Single modern binary
- Strong security defaults
Choose Nextcloud Mail if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1k GitHub stars)
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Stalwart Mail Server or Nextcloud Mail better?
Neither is universally better. Stalwart Mail Server has the larger community, while Nextcloud Mail is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Stalwart Mail Server and Nextcloud Mail free and open-source?
Yes. Stalwart Mail Server is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Nextcloud Mail under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Stalwart Mail Server and Nextcloud Mail with Docker?
Stalwart Mail Server: yes. Nextcloud Mail: check the project docs for container support.