Navidrome vs Stalwart Mail

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureNavidromeStalwart Mail
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-3.0free
LanguageGo
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM128 MB512 MB
Deploymentdocker, binarydocker, one-click
GitHub stars★ 22,746
First released20192023
ReplacesSpotify

Why pick each one

Choose Navidrome if…

  • Very lightweight
  • Works with many mobile apps
  • Easy to set up
Navidrome details

Choose Stalwart Mail if…

  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • One-click install on common self-host platforms
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Stalwart Mail details

Frequently asked questions

Is Navidrome or Stalwart Mail better?

Neither is universally better. Navidrome has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Navidrome and Stalwart Mail free and open-source?

Yes. Navidrome is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stalwart Mail under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Navidrome and Stalwart Mail with Docker?

Navidrome: yes. Stalwart Mail: yes.

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