Berty vs Briar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Berty | Briar |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,305 | ★ 800 |
| First released | 2018 | 2018 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Signal, WhatsApp |
What are Berty and Briar?
Berty
Berty is a secure peer-to-peer messaging application built on the IPFS-based Wesh protocol. It can operate without internet access using local networks and Bluetooth.
- Works without internet via P2P
- End-to-end encryption
- No account or phone number
- Built on IPFS
Briar
Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone who needs censorship-resistant communication. Messages sync directly between devices over Tor, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth without central servers.
- Works without internet
- Tor-based message routing
- No central servers
- Censorship resistant
Berty vs Briar: key differences
Berty is written in TypeScript, while Briar is built with Java. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Berty versus GPL-3.0 for Briar. Briar is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Berty. Berty has the considerably larger community, at 9,305 GitHub stars versus 800.
Why pick each one
Choose Berty if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Mature project with 9.3k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Still considered experimental
- P2P discovery limitations
Choose Briar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Berty or Briar better?
Neither is universally better. Berty has the larger community, while Briar is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Berty and Briar free and open-source?
Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Briar under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Berty and Briar with Docker?
Berty: check the project docs for container support. Briar: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Berty or Briar?
Briar has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Berty. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.