head to head · open source
Signal vs docker-nginx-certbot
Signal has 29,359 GitHub stars, 6,890 forks, 498 open issues and last shipped yesterday. docker-nginx-certbot has 1,205 stars, 195 forks, 8 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Signal leads on adoption by 2,336% (29,359 vs 1,205 stars). Signal is written in Kotlin under AGPL-3.0; docker-nginx-certbot is written in Shell under MIT. Signal has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, docker-nginx-certbot 16%. 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 | docker-nginx-certbot | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 1.2K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Written in | Kotlin | Shell |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 195 |
| 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 docker-nginx-certbot if
- You want the docker-nginx-certbot feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Shell
- You evaluated both and docker-nginx-certbot 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 docker-nginx-certbot
docker nginx certbot is an MIT licensed Docker image that bundles Nginx with the certbot ACME client so that websites automatically obtain and renew free Let's Encrypt TLS certificates, and it is aimed at self hosters and small teams who run their own Nginx servers.
read the full docker-nginx-certbot overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Signal or docker-nginx-certbot more popular?
Signal has 29,359 GitHub stars and docker-nginx-certbot has 1,205. Signal has the larger community by that measure.
Are Signal and docker-nginx-certbot free?
Both are open source. Signal is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and docker-nginx-certbot under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Signal and docker-nginx-certbot?
Signal is written in Kotlin and docker-nginx-certbot in Shell. 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 docker-nginx-certbot?
Choose Signal if you want the larger community (29,359 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose docker-nginx-certbot if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.