# bookwyrm vs SimpleX Chat

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | bookwyrm | SimpleX Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 58/100 | 74/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #26 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 2 807 | 19 612 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +22 | +142 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 11 | 12 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.9.3 · 9 Sept 2026 | v7.0.4 · 3 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Python | Haskell |

## Which one should you pick?

SimpleX Chat scores 74/100 against 58/100 for bookwyrm, so it is the safer default.

SimpleX Chat ships more often: 12 stable releases in the past year, against 11 for bookwyrm.

If you want the quickest setup, SimpleX Chat is easier to run; bookwyrm needs more configuration.

SimpleX Chat is growing faster right now (+142 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [bookwyrm](https://selfhost.directory/project/bookwyrm) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/bookwyrm.md)
- [SimpleX Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/simplex-chat.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/bookwyrm-vs-simplex-chat