Berty vs PrivMX WebMail
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?
Berty
Peer-to-peer messaging app that works offline
VS
PrivMX WebMail
Alternative private mail system - web-based, end-to-end encrypted by
| Feature | Berty | PrivMX WebMail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | ⊘ Proprietary |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,268 | — |
| First released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | — |
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
Choose PrivMX WebMail if…
- Released under the ⊘ Proprietary license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Berty or PrivMX WebMail better?
Neither is universally better. Berty has the larger community, while PrivMX WebMail is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Berty and PrivMX WebMail free and open-source?
Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and PrivMX WebMail under ⊘ Proprietary. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Berty and PrivMX WebMail with Docker?
Berty: check the project docs for container support. PrivMX WebMail: check the project docs for container support.