# Rocket.Chat vs Apache SkyWalking

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

| | Rocket.Chat | Apache SkyWalking |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 76/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #2 of 9 in Application Performance Monitoring |
| GitHub stars | 46 349 ✓ | 24 977 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +188 ✓ | +3 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 36 ✓ | 3 |
| Latest release | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 ✓ | v11.0.0 · 28 Aug 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Java |

## Which one should you pick?

Rocket.Chat scores 82/100 against 76/100 for Apache SkyWalking, so it is the safer default.

Rocket.Chat ships more often: 36 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Apache SkyWalking.

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

Rocket.Chat is growing faster right now (+188 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)
- [Apache SkyWalking](https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/skywalking.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/rocketchat-vs-skywalking