Mailtrain vs Stalwart Mail Server
| Tagline | Self-hosted newsletter app built on Node.js with advanced list management | Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP4, and SMTP in a single Rust binary |
| Category | Email & Newsletters | Email & Newsletters |
| Replaces | Mailchimp, SendGrid, ConvertKit (Kit) | Gmail / Google Workspace, SendGrid, Mailchimp |
| GitHub stars | 5.8k | 15k |
| Language | JavaScript | Rust |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Self-host difficulty | 3/5 Moderate | 3/5 Moderate |
| Deploy options | Docker Docker Compose Manual | Docker Docker Compose Manual |
| Managed hosting | ||
| Last updated | 11 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.
Mailtrain
- Development activity has slowed considerably in recent years
- No built-in drag-and-drop email builder (relies on GrapesJS plugin)
- Documentation is sparse for v2 features
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
Both are a similar lift to self-host; 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.
Mailtrain
Self-hosted newsletter app built on Node.js with advanced list management
Stalwart Mail Server
Modern all-in-one mail server with JMAP, IMAP4, and SMTP in a single Rust binary