Centrifugo vs YunoHost Mail Relay
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
YunoHost Mail Relay
Continuously relays a remote IMAP inbox into a YunoHost mailbox
| Feature | Centrifugo | YunoHost Mail Relay |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0-or-later |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 30 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 1 |
| First released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | — |
Why pick each one
Choose YunoHost Mail Relay if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0-or-later license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 30 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or YunoHost Mail Relay 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 YunoHost Mail Relay free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and YunoHost Mail Relay under GPL-3.0-or-later. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and YunoHost Mail Relay with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. YunoHost Mail Relay: check the project docs for container support.