Briar vs SimpleX Chat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | Briar | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 800 | ★ 19,470 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
What are Briar and SimpleX Chat?
Briar
Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone who needs censorship-resistant communication. Messages sync directly between devices over Tor, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth without central servers.
- Works without internet
- Tor-based message routing
- No central servers
- Censorship resistant
SimpleX Chat
SimpleX Chat is a privacy-focused messaging platform that has no user profiles or identifiers, routing messages through self-hostable relay servers. Users can run their own SMP relay servers for full control.
- No user identifiers at all
- Self-hostable SMP relay servers
- End-to-end encryption
- Decentralized message routing
Briar vs SimpleX Chat: key differences
Briar is written in Java, while SimpleX Chat is built with Haskell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Briar versus AGPL-3.0 for SimpleX Chat. Briar is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for SimpleX Chat. Briar is the more established project (first released 2018), while SimpleX Chat arrived in 2021. SimpleX Chat has the considerably larger community, at 19,470 GitHub stars versus 800. SimpleX Chat lists first-class Docker deployment; Briar does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Briar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose SimpleX Chat if…
- Best-in-class metadata privacy
- Run your own relays
Watch out for
- Newer protocol
- Group features still maturing
Frequently asked questions
Is Briar or SimpleX Chat better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleX Chat has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Briar and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Briar is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Briar and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
Briar: check the project docs for container support. SimpleX Chat: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Briar or SimpleX Chat?
Briar has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for SimpleX Chat. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.