SimpleX 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.
Not the right match-up?
SimpleX
Messaging platform operating without user identifiers
VS
SimpleX Chat
Private messenger without any user identifiers
| Feature | SimpleX | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Haskell | Haskell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 838 | ★ 19,211 |
| First released | 2023 | 2021 |
| Replaces | — | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
Why pick each one
Choose SimpleX if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Haskell
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is SimpleX or SimpleX Chat better?
Neither is universally better. SimpleX Chat has the larger community, while SimpleX is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SimpleX and SimpleX Chat free and open-source?
Yes. SimpleX is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SimpleX Chat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SimpleX and SimpleX Chat with Docker?
SimpleX: check the project docs for container support. SimpleX Chat: yes.