Linphone vs Peer-calls
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Peer-calls
Group peer to peer video calls for everyone
| Feature | Linphone | Peer-calls |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 37 · At risk |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 506 | ★ 1,900 |
| First released | 2001 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Skype, Zoom | BigBlueButton, Skype, Zoom |
What are Linphone and Peer-calls?
Linphone
Linphone is a free SIP-based softphone for voice and video calls and instant messaging. Combined with a SIP server it forms a fully self-hosted communication stack across desktop and mobile.
- SIP voice and video
- End-to-end encryption with ZRTP
- Cross-platform clients
- Instant messaging support
Peer-calls
Group peer to peer video calls for everyone.
Linphone vs Peer-calls: key differences
Linphone is written in C++, while Peer-calls is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Linphone versus Apache-2.0 for Peer-calls. Peer-calls is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Linphone. Linphone is the more established project (first released 2001), while Peer-calls arrived in 2024. Peer-calls has the considerably larger community, at 1,900 GitHub stars versus 506.
Why pick each one
Choose Linphone if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Peer-calls if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Linphone or Peer-calls better?
Peer-calls is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Linphone if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Linphone and Peer-calls free and open-source?
Yes. Linphone is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Peer-calls under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Linphone and Peer-calls with Docker?
Linphone: check the project docs for container support. Peer-calls: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Linphone or Peer-calls?
Peer-calls has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Linphone. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.