SHSelfHostIndex

Comm vs SimpleX Chat

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?
CO Comm E2E-encrypted personal-server messaging app VS SI SimpleX Chat Private messenger without any user identifiers
FeatureCommSimpleX Chat
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseBSD-3-ClauseAGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptHaskell
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, sourcedocker, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 331★ 19,211
First released20222021
ReplacesDiscord, SlackSignal, WhatsApp, Telegram

Why pick each one

Choose Comm if…

  • Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in JavaScript
Comm details

Choose SimpleX Chat if…

  • Best-in-class metadata privacy
  • Run your own relays
SimpleX Chat details

Frequently asked questions

Is Comm or SimpleX Chat better?

SimpleX Chat is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Comm if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Comm and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?

Yes. Comm is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Comm and SimpleX Chat with Docker?

Comm: yes. SimpleX Chat: yes.

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