Chasquid vs Maddy: Lightweight Mail Servers Compared

Want a Self-Hosted Mail Server Without the Complexity of Mailcow?

Both Chasquid and Maddy are minimal, Go-based alternatives to the Postfix+Dovecot+OpenDKIM stack. They replace dozens of config files with a single service that handles SMTP and basic email needs. Neither has a web admin panel, neither bundles a webmail client, and neither targets enterprise deployments. The question is which one fits your specific requirements.

Updated March 2026: Verified with latest Docker images and configurations.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Chasquid	Maddy
Language	Go	Go
SMTP sending	Yes	Yes
SMTP receiving	Yes	Yes
IMAP	Via bundled Dovecot	Built-in
DKIM signing	External (OpenDKIM)	Built-in
SPF verification	Built-in	Built-in
DMARC verification	Basic	Built-in
MTA-STS	Built-in	Built-in
Spam filtering	No (basic checks only)	Built-in (rspamd-like scoring)
Let’s Encrypt TLS	Built-in (auto)	Built-in (auto)
Web admin UI	No	No
Webmail	No	No
User management	CLI script (add-user.sh)	CLI (maddy creds create)
Config format	Directory-based + flags	Single config file (maddy.conf)
Mailbox storage	Dovecot (Maildir)	Built-in (IMAP db)
Docker image	albertito/chasquid	foxcpp/maddy:0.8.2
Idle RAM	~50 MB	~60–80 MB
License	Apache 2.0	GPL 3.0
Last release	v1.17.0 (Nov 2025)	v0.8.2 (2025)

Installation Complexity

Maddy is a true all-in-one — SMTP, IMAP, DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and spam filtering in a single binary:

services:
  maddy:
    image: foxcpp/maddy:0.8.2
    container_name: maddy
    restart: unless-stopped
    hostname: mail.example.com
    ports:
      - "25:25"
      - "465:465"
      - "587:587"
      - "993:993"
    volumes:
      - maddy-data:/data
      - maddy-config:/etc/maddy
    environment:
      - MADDY_HOSTNAME=mail.example.com
      - MADDY_DOMAIN=example.com
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  maddy-data:
  maddy-config:

One container, one config file. DKIM keys are auto-generated on first startup. Add users via:

docker exec -it maddy maddy creds create [email protected]
docker exec -it maddy maddy imap-acct create [email protected]

Chasquid handles SMTP natively but delegates IMAP to bundled Dovecot. The Docker image includes both:

services:
  chasquid:
    image: albertito/chasquid:1.17
    container_name: chasquid
    restart: unless-stopped
    network_mode: host
    volumes:
      - chasquid-data:/var/lib/chasquid
      - chasquid-config:/etc/chasquid
      - chasquid-dovecot:/var/lib/dovecot
    environment:
      - AUTO_CERTS=mail.example.com

volumes:
  chasquid-data:
  chasquid-config:
  chasquid-dovecot:

network_mode: host is recommended because bridge mode hides source IPs, breaking SPF verification. Add users via:

docker exec -it chasquid /add-user.sh [email protected]

Chasquid does not generate DKIM keys — you need OpenDKIM or an external signing solution.

Architecture Differences

Aspect	Chasquid	Maddy
IMAP implementation	Dovecot (mature, proven)	Custom (Go, built-in)
DKIM	External dependency	Integrated
Spam filtering	Not included	Integrated scoring
Process model	chasquid + dovecot processes	Single process
Config complexity	Minimal (domain dirs + flags)	Single file (declarative)

Maddy’s single-binary approach means fewer moving parts but a less battle-tested IMAP implementation. Chasquid delegates IMAP to Dovecot — the industry standard since 2002 — which means proven reliability at the cost of running two processes in the container.

Performance and Resource Usage

Resource	Chasquid	Maddy
Idle RAM	~50 MB	~60–80 MB
Disk (application)	~30 MB	~25 MB
Startup time	~2 seconds	~1 second
Email throughput	High (Dovecot is fast)	Moderate
Container count	1 (chasquid + dovecot inside)	1

Both are lightweight enough for any VPS. Neither approaches the 2+ GB RAM consumption of Mailcow or Mailu stacks.

Community and Support

Metric	Chasquid	Maddy
GitHub stars	~800	~5K
Primary developer	Alberto Bertogli (Google)	foxcpp
Update frequency	2–3 releases/year	1–2 releases/year
Documentation	README + man pages	Full docs site
Community size	Small	Moderate

Maddy has broader community adoption and better documentation. Chasquid is maintained by a Google engineer as a personal project — well-built but less visible.

Use Cases

Choose Chasquid If…

• You want IMAP handled by Dovecot — the most mature IMAP server available
• You already have OpenDKIM or an external DKIM signing setup
• You prefer the lightest possible SMTP server with proven reliability
• You’re comfortable with host networking mode on your VPS
• You don’t need built-in spam filtering

Choose Maddy If…

• You want a true all-in-one: SMTP, IMAP, DKIM, SPF, DMARC, and spam filtering in one binary
• You want DKIM key auto-generation without external tools
• You prefer a single config file over directory-based configuration
• You want basic spam scoring without adding rspamd or SpamAssassin
• You need the simplest possible path to a working mail server

Final Verdict

For a personal mail server with the fewest possible dependencies, choose Maddy. It handles everything in one binary — SMTP, IMAP, DKIM, spam filtering — with a single config file and auto-generated keys. Chasquid is the better SMTP-only server (it delegates IMAP to Dovecot, which has 20+ years of production hardening), but the extra complexity of external DKIM signing makes Maddy the more practical choice for most self-hosters starting from scratch.

FAQ

Can either replace Mailcow or Mailu?

For a personal domain with 1–5 users, yes. For multi-domain setups with webmail, calendar, and a web admin panel, you still need Mailcow or Mailu.

Do both support multiple domains?

Yes. Chasquid uses a directory per domain under /etc/chasquid/domains/. Maddy uses destination blocks in maddy.conf.

Will my emails go to spam?

That depends on DNS records (SPF, DKIM, DMARC), your IP reputation, and reverse DNS — not on which server software you use. See our troubleshooting guide.

Does Chasquid really need host networking?

It’s strongly recommended. Bridge mode hides the real source IP of incoming connections, which breaks SPF verification. If you must use bridge mode, configure your reverse proxy to forward the real IP.

Which has better documentation?

Maddy. Its docs site covers configuration, deployment, and troubleshooting in detail. Chasquid relies on a good README and man pages but lacks a dedicated docs site.

Related

• How to Self-Host Chasquid
• How to Self-Host Maddy
• Mailu vs Mailcow
• Stalwart vs Maddy
• Docker Mailserver vs Stalwart
• Best Self-Hosted Email Servers
• Self-Hosted Alternatives to Gmail