Kamailio vs Papercups
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?
Kamailio
High-performance SIP server for VoIP infrastructure
VS
Papercups
Open-source live chat and customer messaging
| Feature | Kamailio | Papercups |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,899 | ★ 6,097 |
| First released | 2008 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Twilio | Intercom, Drift |
Why pick each one
Choose Kamailio if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Choose Papercups if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Elixir
Frequently asked questions
Is Kamailio or Papercups better?
Papercups is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Kamailio if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Kamailio and Papercups free and open-source?
Yes. Kamailio is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Papercups under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kamailio and Papercups with Docker?
Kamailio: yes. Papercups: yes.