docker-mailserver vs Stalwart Mail Server (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Stalwart Mail Server grades higher than docker-mailserver: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Stalwart Mail Server grades higher on features and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
docker-mailserver
Self-hosted mail server packaged as a Docker container
Stalwart Mail Server
Open-source mail and collaboration server written in Rust
Which one is for you
Pick docker-mailserver if
- Fits if you are comfortable with Docker and a config file and want your own mail server
- Works for people who read documentation and fix things themselves
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a settings page, because setup is by files, variables and the command line
- Skip it if you want paid support, as help comes from the community and the docs
- Too much work if you don't want to handle DNS, TLS certificates and deliverability
- Watch out: the listing shows no webmail or admin screen
Pick Stalwart Mail Server if
- Fits if you run mail for a company and want a modern single-binary server
- Works for admins who want multi-tenancy and are fine paying per mailbox
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a hosted service, as the cloud edition is listed for 2027
- Not for you if you have fewer than 25 mailboxes on Enterprise
- Skip it if you don't want to run and update a server
- Watch out: the monthly-billing rate isn't shown and prices switch between euros and dollars
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAdocker-mailserverWeak | 2.2GPAStalwart Mail ServerFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under MIT, but it only runs on a Docker host you look after, so self-hosted free is a C. | CCommunity is free if you host it. Enterprise is $2.40 a mailbox a year, but you pay for at least 25 mailboxes, which is $60 a year. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree outright, no plan limits. You need your own Docker host, so a B and not an A. | BThe full server is free to run under the AGPL, plus a 30-day trial of Enterprise. You need your own server. |
| Features | CSMTP, IMAP, antispam, antivirus, Sieve and account provisioning in one container. It does the server job but the listing shows no web admin panel or webmail. | BMail and collaboration in one server, with spam filtering, encryption at rest and clustering. The listing shows no gap in the job. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. Configuration is by files, environment variables and command-line tools, per its own docs, so a D. | DYou install, configure and update the server yourself, in either edition. |
| Platforms and integrations | DLinux and Docker only. It connects through Postfix, Dovecot, Rspamd, Fail2Ban and ClamAV and has no apps. | CA web admin and standard protocols, with Sieve, LDAP and OpenID Connect. No apps of its own. |
| Best for | a mail server in one Docker container | a mail and collaboration server in Rust |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: docker-mailserver and Stalwart Mail Server. How we grade
Price against what you get
docker-mailserver has no paid plan and scores 1.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Stalwart Mail Server starts at $0.20 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
Stalwart Mail Server scores higher, and starts $0.20 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other email apps on the chart, none scores higher than docker-mailserver for less, and 12 score higher than Stalwart Mail Server for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Stalwart Mail Server also covers calendar, email client, file sharing and dMARC.
At a glance
| docker-mailserver | Stalwart Mail Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $2.40 per mailbox / year, billed annually (25-mailbox minimum) |
| Free plan | Free and open source under the MIT license; you run the container yourself. | Community edition: the full mail server under AGPL-3.0, free to run on your own infrastructure. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day trial of the Enterprise edition with full access to Enterprise features. |
| Web | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | docker-mailserver community | Stalwart Labs |
| Price read from | github.com | stalw.art |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
docker-mailserver
- Configuration is done through files, environment variables and command-line tooling, per the documentation.
- Setup and upkeep, including DNS, TLS certificates and deliverability, are on you.
- Support comes from the community and documentation, not a paid plan.
Stalwart Mail Server
- Prices are shown in euros or dollars through a toggle; billing can be annual or monthly, and the monthly rate is not shown.
- Enterprise has a 25-mailbox minimum, and deployments above 100,000 mailboxes are quoted.
- Stalwart Enterprise Cloud, the hosted service, is listed as available in 2027, with interest registration only.
- You run and update the server yourself in either edition.
Key features
docker-mailserver
- All-in-one container
- The GitHub project describes a production-ready, full-stack mail server running inside a container.
- Postfix and Dovecot
- The documentation names Postfix as the MTA and Dovecot as the MDA.
- Spam and malware filtering
- Rspamd and Fail2Ban are documented, along with DKIM, DMARC and SPF setup.
- Account provisioning
- Accounts can come from files or from an LDAP service, and OAuth2 authentication is documented.
- Sieve filtering
- Email filtering with Sieve is documented, plus a forward-only mode with LDAP.
Stalwart Mail Server
- Mail and collaboration in one server
- JMAP, IMAP and POP3 for mail, SMTP for delivery, plus calendars, contacts and file storage over CalDAV, CardDAV and WebDAV.
- Built-in spam and phishing filtering
- A statistical classifier, public blocklists, sender reputation and AI-driven analysis run inside the server.
- Sender authentication and transport security
- Handles DKIM, SPF, DMARC and ARC, plus DANE, MTA-STS and TLS reporting, with automatic certificate renewal over ACME.
- Encryption at rest
- Mailboxes can be encrypted with the user's own S/MIME certificate or OpenPGP key.
- Clustering
- Runs as a single node or as a cluster across regions.
- Enterprise multi-tenancy
- The Enterprise edition isolates tenants with their own accounts, domains, quotas and branding, for hosting many customers.
Plans
docker-mailserver
Free$0
Open source under the MIT license. Run it on your own Docker host.
Stalwart Mail Server
Community$0
Free AGPL-3.0 edition you host yourself, with the same protocols and core mail features as Enterprise.
Enterprise$2.40
per mailbox / year, billed annually, 25 to 499 mailboxes
Adds multi-tenancy, branding, archiving and telemetry. Rate falls to $2.04 at 500 and $1.74 at 1,000 mailboxes.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, docker-mailserver or Stalwart Mail Server?
As of Nov 13, 2026, docker-mailserver is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $0.20 a month when paid by the year for Stalwart Mail Server. docker-mailserver is free, and Stalwart Mail Server starts at $2.40 per mailbox / year, billed annually (25-mailbox minimum).
Which has a free plan, docker-mailserver or Stalwart Mail Server?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both docker-mailserver and Stalwart Mail Server have a free plan.
Which platforms do docker-mailserver and Stalwart Mail Server run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only docker-mailserver lists a Linux app and only Stalwart Mail Server lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.