Core Lightning vs HyperSwitch
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted budgeting & finance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Core Lightning
Run your personal Core Lightning node
VS
HyperSwitch
Payment switch to make payments fast, reliable and affordable
| Feature | Core Lightning | HyperSwitch |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Budgeting & Finance | Budgeting & Finance |
| License | free | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 51 | ★ 43,417 |
| First released | 2022 | 2026 |
| Replaces | — | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Core Lightning if…
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- One-click install on common self-host platforms
- Written in TypeScript
Choose HyperSwitch if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 43.4k GitHub stars
- Written in Rust
Frequently asked questions
Is Core Lightning or HyperSwitch better?
Neither is universally better. HyperSwitch has the larger community, while Core Lightning is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Core Lightning and HyperSwitch free and open-source?
Yes. Core Lightning is licensed under free and HyperSwitch under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Core Lightning and HyperSwitch with Docker?
Core Lightning: yes. HyperSwitch: yes.