Seafile vs Stalwart
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted file sync & storage options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Seafile
High-performance file sync and share with block storage
VS
Stalwart
All-in-one Mail & Collaboration server
| Feature | Seafile | Stalwart |
|---|---|---|
| Category | File Sync & Storage | File Sync & Storage |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | free |
| Language | C | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, one-click |
| GitHub stars | ★ 15,077 | ★ 14,059 |
| First released | 2012 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Dropbox, Google Drive | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Seafile if…
- Excellent sync performance
- Stable and battle-tested
- Good for large libraries
Choose Stalwart if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Mature project with 14.1k GitHub stars
Frequently asked questions
Is Seafile or Stalwart better?
Neither is universally better. Seafile has the larger community, while Stalwart is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Seafile and Stalwart free and open-source?
Yes. Seafile is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Stalwart under free. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Seafile and Stalwart with Docker?
Seafile: yes. Stalwart: yes.