AcyMailing vs Stalwart Mail Server
| Tagline | Joomla and WordPress newsletter plugin with automation | Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP4, and SMTP in a single Rust binary |
| Category | Email & Newsletters | Email & Newsletters |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, ConvertKit (Kit) | Gmail / Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp |
| GitHub stars | 200 | 15k |
| Language | PHP | Rust |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 2/5 Simple | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Manual | Docker Docker Compose Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 4 months ago | yesterday |
| View repo | View repo |
Where each falls short
The honest trade-offs — what you give up with each, versus the proprietary tools they replace.
AcyMailing
- Tightly coupled to Joomla/WordPress ecosystem
- Advanced automation features gated behind paid plans
- No standalone deployment outside a CMS
Stalwart Mail Server
- No built-in newsletter/broadcast campaign tooling
- Web admin UI is functional but less refined than commercial email service dashboards
- Third-party anti-virus (ClamAV) integration requires additional setup
- Community support only on the free tier; paid support plans are limited
Bottom line
Choose AcyMailing if you want the lower-effort setup; choose Stalwart Mail Server for the larger community and ecosystem. Stalwart Mail Server has seen more recent development. Open each guide below for deploy steps and the full feature gap.
Stalwart Mail Server
Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP4, and SMTP in a single Rust binary