Etherpad vs SimpleX
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?
Etherpad
Real-time collaborative document editor
VS
SimpleX
Messaging platform operating without user identifiers
| Feature | Etherpad | SimpleX |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 18,481 | ★ 838 |
| First released | 2011 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Google Docs | — |
Why pick each one
Choose SimpleX if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Etherpad or SimpleX better?
Neither is universally better. Etherpad has the larger community, while SimpleX is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Etherpad and SimpleX free and open-source?
Yes. Etherpad is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SimpleX under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Etherpad and SimpleX with Docker?
Etherpad: yes. SimpleX: check the project docs for container support.