Centrifugo vs Nextcloud Talk
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
Nextcloud Talk
Chat, video calls and webinars integrated into Nextcloud
| Feature | Centrifugo | Nextcloud Talk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 2,172 |
| First released | 2015 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Nextcloud Talk if…
- Tight Nextcloud integration
- End-to-end encrypted calls
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or Nextcloud Talk 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 Nextcloud Talk free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Nextcloud Talk under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and Nextcloud Talk with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. Nextcloud Talk: yes.