head to head · open source
Rocket.Chat vs Edgechat
Rocket.Chat has 46,133 GitHub stars, 13,891 forks, 4,023 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Edgechat has 709 stars, 203 forks, 2 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. Rocket.Chat leads on adoption by 6,407% (46,133 vs 709 stars). Rocket.Chat is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Edgechat is written in JavaScript under GPL-3.0. Rocket.Chat has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Edgechat 29%. Rocket.Chat was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (chat, javascript), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Rocket.Chat | Edgechat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 709 |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-17 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 14K | ⑂ 203 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Rocket.Chat if
- You weight community size — 46K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Edgechat if
- You want the Edgechat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and Edgechat fits your workflow better
About Rocket.Chat
Rocket.Chat is an open source, self hostable team communications platform written in TypeScript that gives organisations full ownership of their messaging, voice, and federation infrastructure instead of renting it from a closed SaaS vendor.
read the full Rocket.Chat overview →
About Edgechat
EdgeChat is an open source, self hosted team chat system that runs on Cloudflare's serverless platform, built for teams, projects, and small communities that want their own chat space without operating a dedicated server.
read the full Edgechat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Rocket.Chat or Edgechat more popular?
Rocket.Chat has 46,133 GitHub stars and Edgechat has 709. Rocket.Chat has the larger community by that measure.
Are Rocket.Chat and Edgechat free?
Both are open source. Rocket.Chat has no licence declared in this registry, and Edgechat is licensed under GPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Rocket.Chat and Edgechat?
Rocket.Chat is written in TypeScript and Edgechat in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Rocket.Chat or Edgechat?
Choose Rocket.Chat if you want the larger community (46,133 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Edgechat if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.