Centrifugo vs Pretalx
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
Pretalx
Conference management software
| Feature | Centrifugo | Pretalx |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 929 |
| First released | 2015 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | Zoho Backstage |
Why pick each one
Choose Pretalx if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or Pretalx 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 Pretalx free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Pretalx under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and Pretalx with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. Pretalx: check the project docs for container support.