SimpleX Chat vs Scuttlebutt Room
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?
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
VS
Scuttlebutt Room
Secure Scuttlebutt room server
| Feature | SimpleX Chat | Scuttlebutt Room |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Haskell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 100 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,211 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Scuttlebutt Room if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 100 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is SimpleX Chat or Scuttlebutt Room better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleX Chat has the larger community, while Scuttlebutt Room is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SimpleX Chat and Scuttlebutt Room free and open-source?
Yes. SimpleX Chat is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Scuttlebutt Room under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SimpleX Chat and Scuttlebutt Room with Docker?
SimpleX Chat: yes. Scuttlebutt Room: check the project docs for container support.