ARN-Messager vs Centrifugo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ARN-Messager
Bot which enables multiple Matrix users to use a single third-party IM
VS
Centrifugo
Scalable real-time messaging server for apps and websites
| Feature | ARN-Messager | Centrifugo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | MIT |
| Language | Go | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, kubernetes, binary |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 10,590 |
| First released | 2025 | 2015 |
| Replaces | — | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database |
Why pick each one
Choose ARN-Messager if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ARN-Messager or Centrifugo better?
Neither is universally better. Centrifugo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ARN-Messager and Centrifugo free and open-source?
Yes. ARN-Messager is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and Centrifugo under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ARN-Messager and Centrifugo with Docker?
ARN-Messager: check the project docs for container support. Centrifugo: yes.