PixelFedvsSimpleX Chat
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| PixelFed | SimpleX Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 64/100 | 74/100 |
| Rank in category | #11 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #4 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 7 131 | 19 613 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +24 | +143 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 15 | 12 |
| Latest release | v0.15.2 · 21 Oct 2026 | v7.0.4 · 3 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | PHP | Haskell |
Which one should you pick?
SimpleX Chat scores 74/100 against 64/100 for PixelFed, so it is the safer default.
PixelFed ships more often: 15 stable releases in the past year, against 12 for SimpleX Chat.
If you want the quickest setup, SimpleX Chat is easier to run; PixelFed needs more configuration.
SimpleX Chat is growing faster right now (+143 stars in 30 days).
PixelFed details →SimpleX Chat details →