Kaneo vs Papercups
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Kaneo
Project management platform focused on simplicity and efficiency
VS
Papercups
Open-source live chat and customer messaging
| Feature | Kaneo | Papercups |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Project Management & Tasks | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,637 | ★ 6,097 |
| First released | 2026 | 2020 |
| Replaces | — | Intercom, Drift |
Why pick each one
Choose Kaneo if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.6k GitHub stars
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 Kaneo or Papercups better?
Neither is universally better. Kaneo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kaneo and Papercups free and open-source?
Yes. Kaneo is licensed under MIT and Papercups under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kaneo and Papercups with Docker?
Kaneo: yes. Papercups: yes.