Centrifugo vs Delta Chat

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?
FeatureCentrifugoDelta Chat
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseMITMPL-2.0
LanguageGoRust
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, kubernetes, binarybare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 10,590★ 916
First released20152017
ReplacesPusher, Firebase Realtime DatabaseWhatsApp, Signal, Telegram

Why pick each one

Choose Centrifugo if…

  • Handles many connections
  • Easy to integrate
Centrifugo details

Choose Delta Chat if…

  • Leverages decentralized email
  • No new server protocol
Delta Chat details

Frequently asked questions

Is Centrifugo or Delta Chat better?

Neither is universally better. Centrifugo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Centrifugo and Delta Chat free and open-source?

Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Delta Chat under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Centrifugo and Delta Chat with Docker?

Centrifugo: yes. Delta Chat: check the project docs for container support.

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