# CTFd vs Rocket.Chat

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

| | CTFd | Rocket.Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 70/100 | 82/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #1 of 30 in Education | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 6 893 | 46 348 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +43 | +187 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 9 | 36 ✓ |
| Latest release | 3.8.9 · 22 Oct 2026 ✓ | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Python | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Rocket.Chat scores 82/100 against 70/100 for CTFd, so it is the safer default.

Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 9 for CTFd.

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

Rocket.Chat is growing faster right now (+187 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [CTFd](https://selfhost.directory/project/ctfd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ctfd.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/ctfd-vs-rocketchat