Berty vs Focalboard

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?
FeatureBertyFocalboard
CategoryChat & CommunicationProject Management & Tasks
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageTypeScriptTypeScript
Setup difficultyHardEasy
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 9,268★ 26,376
First released20182021
ReplacesWhatsApp, SignalTrello, Asana, Notion

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
Berty details

Choose Focalboard if…

  • Clean Trello-like UI
  • Lightweight
  • Mattermost integration
Focalboard details

Frequently asked questions

Is Berty or Focalboard better?

Focalboard is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Berty if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Berty and Focalboard free and open-source?

Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Focalboard under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Berty and Focalboard with Docker?

Berty: check the project docs for container support. Focalboard: yes.

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