SimpleX Chat vs Wesh Network
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
VS
Wesh Network
P2P encrypted messaging protocol toolkit
| Feature | SimpleX Chat | Wesh Network |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 56 · Fair |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Haskell | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,470 | ★ 251 |
| First released | 2021 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | Signal, WhatsApp |
What are SimpleX Chat and Wesh Network?
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
Wesh Network
Wesh Network is the peer-to-peer protocol toolkit powering Berty, providing end-to-end encrypted, asynchronous messaging that works without central servers or phone numbers. It can be self-hosted as relay infrastructure.
- Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol
- Works without central servers
- No phone number required
SimpleX Chat vs Wesh Network: key differences
SimpleX Chat is written in Haskell, while Wesh Network is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for SimpleX Chat versus Apache-2.0 for Wesh Network. SimpleX Chat has the considerably larger community, at 19,470 GitHub stars versus 251. SimpleX Chat lists first-class Docker deployment; Wesh Network does not.
Why pick each one
Choose SimpleX Chat if…
- Best-in-class metadata privacy
- Run your own relays
Watch out for
- Newer protocol
- Group features still maturing
Choose Wesh Network if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is SimpleX Chat or Wesh Network better?
SimpleX Chat is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Wesh Network if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are SimpleX Chat and Wesh Network free and open-source?
Yes. SimpleX Chat is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wesh Network under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SimpleX Chat and Wesh Network with Docker?
SimpleX Chat: yes. Wesh Network: check the project docs for container support.