Centrifugo vs Slixmpp
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
Slixmpp
XMPP library for building bots and chat extensions
| Feature | Centrifugo | Slixmpp |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 300 |
| First released | 2015 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | Slack apps |
Why pick each one
Choose Slixmpp if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or Slixmpp 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 Slixmpp free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Slixmpp under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and Slixmpp with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. Slixmpp: check the project docs for container support.