Centrifugo vs SimpleX
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
SimpleX
Messaging platform operating without user identifiers
| Feature | Centrifugo | SimpleX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 838 |
| First released | 2015 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | — |
Why pick each one
Choose SimpleX if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or SimpleX better?
Neither is universally better. Centrifugo has the larger community, while SimpleX is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Centrifugo and SimpleX free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and SimpleX under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and SimpleX with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. SimpleX: check the project docs for container support.