RetroShare vs Screego

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?
FeatureRetroShareScreego
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageC++Go
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM512 MB50 MB
Deploymentbare-metalbare-metal
GitHub stars★ 2,006★ 10,478
First released20232024
Replaces

Why pick each one

Choose RetroShare if…

  • Released under the GPL-2.0 license
  • Active community (2k GitHub stars)
  • Written in C++
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
RetroShare details

Choose Screego if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Mature project with 10.5k GitHub stars
  • Written in Go
Screego details

Frequently asked questions

Is RetroShare or Screego better?

Screego is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider RetroShare if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are RetroShare and Screego free and open-source?

Yes. RetroShare is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Screego under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run RetroShare and Screego with Docker?

RetroShare: check the project docs for container support. Screego: check the project docs for container support.

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