Berty vs Routr
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
Routr
Lightweight SIP proxy, location server, and registrar for a reliable
| Feature | Berty | Routr |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, kubernetes |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,268 | ★ 1,707 |
| First released | 2018 | 2026 |
| 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 Routr if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is Berty or Routr better?
Neither is universally better. Berty has the larger community, while Routr is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Berty and Routr free and open-source?
Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Routr under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Berty and Routr with Docker?
Berty: check the project docs for container support. Routr: yes.