Rspamd
Rspamd 4.3 fixes SPF evaluation order and rejects weak DKIM keys, with results that change.
Comparison · Comms
Maddy vs Session
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Maddy and Session — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Maddy vs Session: at a glance
What is Maddy?
maddy's back-to-back security releases close DMARC bypasses and IMAP storage bugs.
maddy is an all-in-one Go mail server for SMTP and IMAP. Its last two releases are security fixes: 0.9.6 in October required explicit trust for PROXY headers and closed an auth misconfiguration, and 0.9.7 fixes two DMARC verification bypasses that let attackers spoof domains with p=reject, plus long-standing IMAP storage bugs. Malformed MIME messages are now stored as a single part instead of being lost.
What is Session?
Session ships new app versions and node upgrades while Pro stays on hold.
Session's 2026 started with a funding scare, then community support restored its runway in June. Session Pro reached a beta in app stores in September before its launch was paused in October during talks with an allied privacy ecosystem. Since then the work is infrastructure: lighter Session Node software, an update on Protocol v2, and on November 9 new iOS, Android and Desktop releases with further voluntary node upgrades and progress on a unified client.
Maddy vs Session: editorial side-by-side
Maddy
2.5COMMS
maddy's back-to-back security releases close DMARC bypasses and IMAP storage bugs.
◆ Current state
maddy is an all-in-one Go mail server for SMTP and IMAP. Its last two releases are security fixes: 0.9.6 in October required explicit trust for PROXY headers and closed an auth misconfiguration, and 0.9.7 fixes two DMARC verification bypasses that let attackers spoof domains with p=reject, plus long-standing IMAP storage bugs. Malformed MIME messages are now stored as a single part instead of being lost.
◆ Where it's heading
Feature work stopped after the 0.9 line in spring; recent releases are driven by reported vulnerabilities. The project is fixing correctness in mail authentication and storage rather than adding capabilities.
◆ Prediction
Further security point releases look more likely than a 0.10.0 feature release, though 0.9.1 flagged libdns provider removals for 0.10.0.
Session
5.0COMMS
Session ships new app versions and node upgrades while Pro stays on hold.
◆ Current state
Session's 2026 started with a funding scare, then community support restored its runway in June. Session Pro reached a beta in app stores in September before its launch was paused in October during talks with an allied privacy ecosystem. Since then the work is infrastructure: lighter Session Node software, an update on Protocol v2, and on November 9 new iOS, Android and Desktop releases with further voluntary node upgrades and progress on a unified client.
◆ Where it's heading
With Pro paused, Session is spending its effort on the network and the client codebase: lighter nodes, Protocol v2 with forward secrecy and post-quantum encryption, and one client for all platforms. Monetization waits on the outside talks.
◆ Prediction
Expect a Protocol v2 alpha or the unified client to be the next visible release; Pro's timing depends on talks the entries do not detail.
Alternatives to Maddy and Session
Other Comms products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Maddy or Session.
Twilio
Twilio's voice AI stops cutting callers off mid-sentence, using its own turn-taking model.
Salesmsg
Salesmsg adds call-back requests and a one-click Emergency Stop for all outbound texts.
Element
Element 1.12.35 follows the call picture-in-picture release with one desktop storage fix.
Krisp
Krisp moves call transcripts and live captions to cloud transcription in KrispCX 2.84.4.
Misskey
Misskey 2026.11 ships: a leaner start script, and Node.js 22 no longer boots.
See all Maddy alternatives → · See all Session alternatives →
Recent activity from Maddy and Session
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 4d agoSessionDevelopment Update - New Releases and Session Node Upgrades
- 8d agoMaddymaddy 0.9.7 fixes two DMARC bypasses and IMAP storage bugs
- 26d agoSessionSmaller nodes, stronger encryption: Oxen 11.7, Storage Server 2.12 and Session Router 1.1
- 1mo agoSessionSession Protocol v2: An Update on PFS, Post-Quantum and Linked Devices
- 1mo agoSessionSession is taking part in Octant's Epoch 13 privacy round
- 1mo agoSessionDevelopment Update - Stability Fixes and Network Improvements
- 1mo agoMaddymaddy 0.9.6 fixes PROXY trust and auth bypass misconfig
- 2mo agoSessionSession Pro beta submitted to app stores
- 5mo agoMaddymaddy 0.9.5 fixes nested pipeline logging and systemd reload reporting
- 6mo agoMaddymaddy 0.9.4 removes the maddyctl symlink and implicit run command
- 7mo agoMaddymaddy 0.9.3 patches an LDAP injection flaw in auth.ldap
- 7mo agoMaddymaddy 0.9.2 fixes an rspamd panic on unspecified tls_client
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Maddy and Session?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Session is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Maddy better than Session?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Session is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Maddy?
Top Maddy alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Maddy alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/maddy for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Session?
Top Session alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Session alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/session for the full list with editorial commentary on each.