Conversations vs Wesh Network
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Conversations | Wesh Network |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,000 | ★ 251 |
| First released | 2018 | 2022 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Signal, WhatsApp |
What are Conversations and Wesh Network?
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.
Wesh Network
Wesh Network is the peer-to-peer protocol toolkit powering Berty, providing end-to-end encrypted, asynchronous messaging that works without central servers or phone numbers. It can be self-hosted as relay infrastructure.
- Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol
- Works without central servers
- No phone number required
Conversations vs Wesh Network: key differences
Conversations is written in Java, while Wesh Network is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Conversations versus Apache-2.0 for Wesh Network. Wesh Network 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 Wesh Network arrived in 2022. Conversations has the considerably larger community, at 3,000 GitHub stars versus 251. Conversations lists first-class Docker deployment; Wesh Network does not.
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 Wesh Network if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Conversations or Wesh Network better?
Neither is universally better. Conversations has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Conversations and Wesh Network free and open-source?
Yes. Conversations is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Wesh Network under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conversations and Wesh Network with Docker?
Conversations: yes. Wesh Network: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Conversations or Wesh Network?
Wesh Network 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.