Spacebar vs Tox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Spacebar
Self-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
VS
Tox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol and core
| Feature | Spacebar | Tox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 83 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,196 | ★ 2,685 |
| First released | 2021 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Discord | Skype, Discord |
What are Spacebar and Tox?
Spacebar
Spacebar is a free, open-source, self-hostable chat platform that is compatible with the Discord client and API. It lets communities run their own Discord-like server infrastructure.
- Discord-API compatible
- Works with existing Discord clients
- Self-hosted communities
- Voice and text channels
Tox
Tox is a free, peer-to-peer instant messaging protocol with end-to-end encryption and no central servers. The c-toxcore library is the reference implementation that powers a range of Tox clients.
- Fully peer-to-peer
- End-to-end encryption
- No central servers
- Voice and video calls
Spacebar vs Tox: key differences
Spacebar is written in TypeScript, while Tox is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Spacebar versus GPL-3.0 for Tox. Tox is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Spacebar. Tox is the more established project (first released 2013), while Spacebar arrived in 2021. Spacebar lists first-class Docker deployment; Tox does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Spacebar if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Watch out for
- Still in heavy development
- Feature gaps versus Discord
Choose Tox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Spacebar or Tox better?
Tox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Spacebar if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Spacebar and Tox free and open-source?
Yes. Spacebar is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Spacebar and Tox with Docker?
Spacebar: yes. Tox: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Spacebar or Tox?
Tox has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Spacebar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.