Ferdium Server 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?
Ferdium Server
Self-hosted backend for syncing Ferdium settings
VS
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | Ferdium Server | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 288 | ★ 19,211 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Franz Server | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
Why pick each one
Choose Ferdium Server if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Ferdium Server or SimpleX Chat better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleX Chat has the larger community, while Ferdium Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Ferdium Server and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Ferdium Server is licensed under MIT and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ferdium Server and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
Ferdium Server: yes. SimpleX Chat: yes.