Centrifugo vs Spacebar
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
Spacebar
Self-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
| Feature | Centrifugo | Spacebar |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 2,189 |
| First released | 2015 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Spacebar if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or Spacebar better?
Centrifugo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Spacebar if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Centrifugo and Spacebar free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and Spacebar under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and Spacebar with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. Spacebar: yes.