← Back to home
Comparison · Comms

Delta Chat vs Rspamd

A side-by-side editorial comparison of Delta Chat and Rspamd — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

Delta Chat vs Rspamd: at a glance

FeatureDelta ChatRspamd
SectorCommsComms
Velocity score5.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesmessaging, relays, desktop client, channelsspam filtering, email authentication, input hardening, attachment extraction
Last editorial update12d ago3h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is Delta Chat?

Delta Chat is quietly replacing its email identity with relays

Delta Chat desktop v2.65.0 adds pinned messages, message multiselect actions and a System default language option, and hides individual reactions from channel owners. v2.62.0 changed more of the foundation: relays can be removed, the default relay setting is gone, onboarding adds several relays, and email addresses are no longer shown for profiles. Contacts are also no longer shown as verified.

Read the full Delta Chat trajectory →

What is Rspamd?

Rspamd 4.3 fixes SPF evaluation order and rejects weak DKIM keys, with results that change.

Rspamd 4.3.0 on November 13 is a correctness release with a long incompatible-changes list. SPF records are now evaluated in term order, closing a case where an explicit -ip4 deny could be overridden by a broader allow. DKIM rejects RSA keys under 1024 bits and signatures with duplicate tags, DMARC no longer drops a policy over an unknown tag, URL mismatches are scored apart from phishing, and PDF text extraction and archive unpacking change their output. Critical fixes cover a header line that could abort a worker from one unauthenticated HTTP request.

Read the full Rspamd trajectory →

Delta Chat vs Rspamd: editorial side-by-side

D5.0

Delta Chat is quietly replacing its email identity with relays

◆ Current state

Delta Chat desktop v2.65.0 adds pinned messages, message multiselect actions and a System default language option, and hides individual reactions from channel owners. v2.62.0 changed more of the foundation: relays can be removed, the default relay setting is gone, onboarding adds several relays, and email addresses are no longer shown for profiles. Contacts are also no longer shown as verified.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is removing email from what users see and from how they think about identity, with relays taking its place as multi-path infrastructure. Fetching from every relay and sending through the fastest one treats a relay as replaceable, which matters for a federated messenger. Around that, the client keeps closing feature gaps with mainstream messengers through pinning, channel reactions and better group notification handling.

◆ Prediction

Expect further relay management work, as the core notes show this is where the structural change is. Channels are the next most active surface, with reaction privacy already changing there.

R
Rspamd
COMMS
5.0

Rspamd 4.3 fixes SPF evaluation order and rejects weak DKIM keys, with results that change.

◆ Current state

Rspamd 4.3.0 on November 13 is a correctness release with a long incompatible-changes list. SPF records are now evaluated in term order, closing a case where an explicit -ip4 deny could be overridden by a broader allow. DKIM rejects RSA keys under 1024 bits and signatures with duplicate tags, DMARC no longer drops a policy over an unknown tag, URL mismatches are scored apart from phishing, and PDF text extraction and archive unpacking change their output. Critical fixes cover a header line that could abort a worker from one unauthenticated HTTP request.

◆ Where it's heading

Since 4.1, every release has hardened parsers and closed memory-safety and trust gaps; 4.3 applies the same pass to the authentication standards themselves (SPF, DKIM, DMARC, ARC) and to content extraction. Operators should expect scores and fuzzy hashes to shift after upgrading, because the project now favours spec-correct results over backward-compatible ones.

◆ Prediction

A 4.3.x point release fixing regressions from these behaviour changes is the likely next step, as 4.2.1 followed 4.2.0 within two weeks.

Alternatives to Delta Chat and Rspamd

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 Delta Chat or Rspamd.

See all Delta Chat alternatives → · See all Rspamd alternatives →

Recent activity from Delta Chat and Rspamd

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 22h agoRspamd4.3.0: SPF order fix, stricter DKIM, new truncation symbols
  2. 17d agoDelta ChatPinned messages arrive; channel reactions become anonymous totals
  3. 24d agoRspamd4.2.3: ARC trust fix, merged RBL queries, browser-style HTML parsing
  4. 1mo agoRspamd4.2.2: crypto wallet detection and changed MIME digests
  5. 1mo agoDelta ChatMulti-relay onboarding; email addresses leave the profile list
  6. 1mo agoRspamd4.2.1: critical HTTP and memory-safety fixes
  7. 1mo agoRspamd4.2.0: public suffix lookup and attachment content extraction
  8. 2mo agoDelta ChatFixes the 2.59.0 unread-sync bug; Arabic, Telugu, Slovenian added
  9. 3mo agoRspamdCloses an arbitrary file read reachable by any TCP client
  10. 3mo agoDelta ChatChannel post reactions and experimental Team Profiles
  11. 3mo agoDelta Chatv2.57.0 release preparation
  12. 3mo agoDelta ChatOAuth removed; group member search and command palette added

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Delta Chat and Rspamd?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Delta Chat and Rspamd are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is Delta Chat better than Rspamd?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Delta Chat and Rspamd are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to Delta Chat?

Top Delta Chat alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Delta Chat alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/deltachat for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Rspamd?

Top Rspamd alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Rspamd alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/rspamd for the full list with editorial commentary on each.