head to head · open source
Rocket.Chat vs Signal
Rocket.Chat has 46,136 GitHub stars, 13,893 forks, 4,023 open issues and last shipped today. Signal has 29,356 stars, 6,889 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Rocket.Chat leads on adoption by 57% (46,136 vs 29,356 stars). Rocket.Chat is written in TypeScript under a custom or non-standard licence; Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0. Rocket.Chat has attracted 30% as many forks as stars, Signal 23%. Rocket.Chat was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | Signal | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 46K | ★ 29K |
| License | Custom / other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Kotlin |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-17 |
| Forks | ⑂ 14K | ⑂ 6.9K |
| 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 Signal if
- You want the Signal feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You evaluated both and Signal 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 Signal
Signal Android is a secure messaging application for Android devices that delivers private communication via end to end encryption. Developed by Signal Messenger, LLC, it operates within the broader Signal ecosystem, which includes official iOS and desktop clients. The app uses mobile data or Wi Fi to send and receive encrypted messages, voice calls, and video calls without relying on traditional SMS or telephony infrastructure.
read the full Signal overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Rocket.Chat or Signal more popular?
Rocket.Chat has 46,136 GitHub stars and Signal has 29,356. Rocket.Chat has the larger community by that measure.
Are Rocket.Chat and Signal free?
Both are open source. Rocket.Chat has no licence declared in this registry, and Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between Rocket.Chat and Signal?
Rocket.Chat is written in TypeScript and Signal in Kotlin. 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 Signal?
Choose Rocket.Chat if you want the larger community (46,136 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose Signal if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.