# cobalt vs Rocket.Chat

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

| | cobalt | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 83/100 ✓ | 82/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 45 in Download Management | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 45 600 | 46 349 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 790 ✓ | +179 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 36 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Other |
| Main language | Svelte | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

cobalt scores 83/100 against 82/100 for Rocket.Chat, so it is the safer default.

Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for cobalt.

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

cobalt is growing faster right now (+1 790 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [cobalt](https://selfhost.directory/project/cobalt) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/cobalt.md)
- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)

## Related comparisons

- [Discourse vs Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/compare/discourse-vs-rocketchat)
- [Rocket.Chat vs Zulip](https://selfhost.directory/compare/rocketchat-vs-zulip)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/cobalt-vs-rocketchat