PushBits 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?
PushBits
Notification server for relaying push notifications via Matrix,
VS
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | PushBits | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | ISC | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 363 | ★ 19,211 |
| First released | 2025 | 2021 |
| Replaces | — | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
Why pick each one
Choose PushBits if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Written in Go
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is PushBits or SimpleX Chat better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleX Chat has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are PushBits and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. PushBits is licensed under ISC and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run PushBits and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
PushBits: check the project docs for container support. SimpleX Chat: yes.