Conversations 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.
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | Conversations | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,000 | ★ 19,470 |
| First released | 2018 | 2021 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
What are Conversations and SimpleX Chat?
Conversations
Conversations is an open-source XMPP (Jabber) client for Android supporting OMEMO end-to-end encryption, multi-user chats, and file transfer. It works with any standards-compliant XMPP server, including self-hosted ones.
SimpleX Chat
SimpleX Chat is a privacy-focused messaging platform that has no user profiles or identifiers, routing messages through self-hostable relay servers. Users can run their own SMP relay servers for full control.
- No user identifiers at all
- Self-hostable SMP relay servers
- End-to-end encryption
- Decentralized message routing
Conversations vs SimpleX Chat: key differences
Conversations is written in Java, while SimpleX Chat is built with Haskell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Conversations versus AGPL-3.0 for SimpleX Chat. SimpleX Chat is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Conversations. Conversations is the more established project (first released 2018), while SimpleX Chat arrived in 2021. SimpleX Chat has the considerably larger community, at 19,470 GitHub stars versus 3,000.
Why pick each one
Choose Conversations if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose SimpleX Chat if…
- Best-in-class metadata privacy
- Run your own relays
Watch out for
- Newer protocol
- Group features still maturing
Frequently asked questions
Is Conversations or SimpleX Chat better?
SimpleX Chat is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Conversations if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Conversations and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Conversations is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conversations and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
Conversations: yes. SimpleX Chat: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Conversations or SimpleX Chat?
SimpleX Chat has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Conversations. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.