Berty vs SchildiChat
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?
Berty
Peer-to-peer messaging app that works offline
VS
SchildiChat
Element-based Matrix client with extra usability tweaks
| Feature | Berty | SchildiChat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,268 | ★ 465 |
| First released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Slack, WhatsApp |
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 SchildiChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is Berty or SchildiChat better?
Neither is universally better. Berty has the larger community, while SchildiChat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Berty and SchildiChat free and open-source?
Yes. Berty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SchildiChat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Berty and SchildiChat with Docker?
Berty: check the project docs for container support. SchildiChat: yes.