Centrifugo vs Gamja
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?
Centrifugo
Scalable real-time messaging server for apps and websites
VS
Gamja
Simple, lightweight web-based IRC client
| Feature | Centrifugo | Gamja |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | IRCCloud |
Why pick each one
Choose Gamja if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or Gamja better?
Neither is universally better. Centrifugo has the larger community, while Gamja is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Centrifugo and Gamja free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Gamja under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and Gamja with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. Gamja: check the project docs for container support.