SimpleX Chat vs Zusam
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
Zusam
Truly private space for you and your friends
| Feature | SimpleX Chat | Zusam |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Unlicense |
| Language | Haskell | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,211 | ★ 223 |
| First released | 2021 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Zusam if…
- Released under the Unlicense license
- Written in PHP
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is SimpleX Chat or Zusam 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 SimpleX Chat and Zusam free and open-source?
Yes. SimpleX Chat is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zusam under Unlicense. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SimpleX Chat and Zusam with Docker?
SimpleX Chat: yes. Zusam: check the project docs for container support.