# Rocket.Chat vs Zero-K

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

| | Rocket.Chat | Zero-K |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 ✓ | 62/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 13 in Instant Messaging | #2 of 23 in Gaming |
| GitHub stars | 46 350 ✓ | 877 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +180 ✓ | +26 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 36 ✓ | 0 |
| Latest release | 8.5.4 · 16 Oct 2026 | — |
| Setup | Moderate | Easy ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | Other | GPL-2.0 |
| Main language | Typescript | Lua |

## Which one should you pick?

Rocket.Chat scores 82/100 against 62/100 for Zero-K, so it is the safer default.

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

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

Rocket.Chat is growing faster right now (+180 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Rocket.Chat](https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/rocketchat.md)
- [Zero-K](https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/zero-k.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-zero-k