SHSelfHostIndex

Stalwart Mail Server vs Apache SpamAssassin

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 AP Apache SpamAssassin Rule-based and Bayesian anti-spam mail filter
FeatureStalwart Mail ServerApache SpamAssassin
CategoryMail ServersMail Servers
LicenseAGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageRustPerl
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, bare-metalbare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 14,059★ 341
First released20202001
ReplacesMicrosoft Exchange, Google WorkspaceProprietary spam filtering appliances

Why pick each one

Choose Stalwart Mail Server if…

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

Choose Apache SpamAssassin if…

  • Released under the Apache-2.0 license
  • Written in Perl
  • Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Apache SpamAssassin details

Frequently asked questions

Is Stalwart Mail Server or Apache SpamAssassin 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 Stalwart Mail Server and Apache SpamAssassin free and open-source?

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

Can I run Stalwart Mail Server and Apache SpamAssassin with Docker?

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

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