AnyCable vs Mercure
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
AnyCable
Real-time WebSocket server for in-app messaging
VS
Mercure
Real-time updates protocol and server-sent events hub
| Feature | AnyCable | Mercure |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Automation & Workflows |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,368 | ★ 5,297 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Ably | Pusher |
Why pick each one
Choose AnyCable if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.4k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose Mercure if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 5.3k GitHub stars
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is AnyCable or Mercure better?
Neither is universally better. Mercure has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are AnyCable and Mercure free and open-source?
Yes. AnyCable is licensed under MIT and Mercure under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run AnyCable and Mercure with Docker?
AnyCable: yes. Mercure: yes.