Berty vs RetroShare
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
RetroShare
Secured and decentralized communication system
| Feature | Berty | RetroShare |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,268 | ★ 2,006 |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| 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 RetroShare if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Berty or RetroShare better?
Neither is universally better. Berty has the larger community, while RetroShare is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Berty and RetroShare free and open-source?
Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and RetroShare under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Berty and RetroShare with Docker?
Berty: check the project docs for container support. RetroShare: check the project docs for container support.