# PixelFed vs SimpleX 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).

## Details

- [PixelFed](https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/pixelfed.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/pixelfed-vs-simplex-chat