head to head · open source
Signal vs Certipy
Signal has 29,359 GitHub stars, 6,890 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Certipy has 3,670 stars, 484 forks, 25 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. Signal leads on adoption by 700% (29,359 vs 3,670 stars). Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0; Certipy is written in Python under MIT. Signal has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, Certipy 13%. Signal 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
| Signal | Certipy | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 3.7K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Kotlin | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-07-30 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 484 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Signal if
- You weight community size — 29K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Kotlin
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Certipy if
- You want the Certipy feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and Certipy fits your workflow better
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 →
About Certipy
Certipy is an open source Python toolkit, published under the MIT licence on PyPI as certipy ad , for enumerating and abusing Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS), built for red teamers, penetration testers, and defenders who need to assess AD CS misconfigurations in Windows Active Directory environments.
read the full Certipy overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Signal or Certipy more popular?
Signal has 29,359 GitHub stars and Certipy has 3,670. Signal has the larger community by that measure.
Are Signal and Certipy free?
Both are open source. Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Certipy under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Signal and Certipy?
Signal is written in Kotlin and Certipy in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Signal or Certipy?
Choose Signal if you want the larger community (29,359 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Certipy if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.