Session 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.
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | Session | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 96 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 585 | ★ 19,470 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
What are Session and SimpleX Chat?
Session
Session is an end-to-end encrypted messenger that routes messages through a decentralized onion network of community-operated nodes. It requires no phone number or email to sign up.
- Onion-routed message delivery
- No phone number required
- Decentralized service node network
- End-to-end encryption
SimpleX Chat
SimpleX Chat is a privacy-focused messaging platform that has no user profiles or identifiers, routing messages through self-hostable relay servers. Users can run their own SMP relay servers for full control.
- No user identifiers at all
- Self-hostable SMP relay servers
- End-to-end encryption
- Decentralized message routing
Session vs SimpleX Chat: key differences
Session is written in TypeScript, while SimpleX Chat is built with Haskell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Session versus AGPL-3.0 for SimpleX Chat. SimpleX Chat has the considerably larger community, at 19,470 GitHub stars versus 585. SimpleX Chat lists first-class Docker deployment; Session does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Session if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Relies on the Session node network
- Message delivery can be slower
Choose SimpleX Chat if…
- Best-in-class metadata privacy
- Run your own relays
Watch out for
- Newer protocol
- Group features still maturing
Frequently asked questions
Is Session 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 Session and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Session is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Session and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
Session: check the project docs for container support. SimpleX Chat: yes.