Offline Protocol vs Berty
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Berty is an open-source, privacy-first peer-to-peer messaging app built on the Wesh protocol, a libp2p-based stack that works over BLE and the internet with no phone number and no central server. Offline Protocol is a commercial SDK and coordination layer for building offline-capable products: a mesh over BLE, WiFi Direct, and internet with automatic failover, MLS encryption, Ed25519 identity, and serverless service discovery. Berty is an end-user app and protocol focused on private messaging. Offline Protocol is a toolkit you embed to give a product an encrypted mesh with identity and discovery. If you want a private messenger, Berty fits. If you are building a product on top of a mesh, Offline Protocol is the layer for that.
Side by side
| Capability | Offline Protocol | Berty |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Commercial SDK and coordination layer | Open-source messaging app and protocol |
| Core model | Encrypted mesh routing plus service invocation | Private peer-to-peer messaging |
| Transports | BLE, WiFi Direct, internet with failover | BLE and internet via Wesh and libp2p |
| Encryption and identity | MLS (RFC 9420), Ed25519 OfflineID | End-to-end encrypted, no phone number |
| Service discovery | Serverless request and response across the mesh | Messaging focused |
| Multi-hop relay | 8-hop with ack, retry, deduplication | Peer-to-peer over libp2p |
| Server | Optional, serverless by default | No central server by design |
| Primary artifact | Rust core SDK with React Native binding | Open-source app and Wesh protocol |
How they differ
Berty describes itself as an open-source, privacy-first messaging app built on the Wesh protocol, a libp2p-based peer-to-peer stack that runs over Bluetooth Low Energy and the internet, with no phone number required and no central server (berty.tech). The design goal is private communication that keeps working without accounts or infrastructure. That framing is a messaging story: the value is in reaching another person privately, device to device.
Offline Protocol sits at a different altitude. It is a multi-transport mesh over BLE, WiFi Direct, and internet with automatic failover and 8-hop relay, plus MLS (RFC 9420) encryption, an Ed25519 OfflineID for verifying devices with no server, and serverless service discovery so any device can advertise and invoke a capability. It ships as a Rust core with a React Native binding for teams building products, not as a finished app.
So the comparison is app versus toolkit. Berty and Offline Protocol share values, both are serverless and both work device to device, but Berty is a private messenger you use, while Offline Protocol is a coordination layer you build on. If your product needs discovery, invocation, and multi-transport failover under the hood, that is the split that matters.
When to choose each
Choose Berty when
You want a self-contained, open-source private messenger with no accounts, no phone number, and no central server, and person-to-person communication over BLE and the internet is the whole requirement.
Choose Offline Protocol when
You are building a product that needs a mesh transport with automatic failover, self-sovereign device identity, and serverless service discovery, delivered as an SDK you embed rather than a finished messaging app.
See how the connectivity and identity primitives apply across logistics, events, and the public sector.
Offline Protocol vs Berty FAQ
What is the difference between Offline Protocol and Berty?
Berty is an open-source, privacy-first peer-to-peer messaging app built on the Wesh protocol, a libp2p-based stack that works over Bluetooth Low Energy and the internet with no phone number and no central server (berty.tech). Offline Protocol is a commercial SDK and coordination layer for building offline-capable products: a multi-transport mesh over BLE, WiFi Direct, and internet with automatic failover, MLS (RFC 9420) encryption, Ed25519 OfflineID identity, and serverless service discovery. Berty is an end-user app and protocol, while Offline Protocol is a toolkit you embed in your own product.
Can I build a product on Berty like I would on Offline Protocol?
Berty ships as an open-source messaging app and its underlying Wesh protocol, so it centers on private person-to-person messaging rather than on being a commercial SDK with offline identity, service discovery, and multi-transport failover for embedding mesh into your own product. Offline Protocol is designed as that building block: a Rust core with a React Native binding, in production on 350,000+ devices across 80+ countries.
Do both work without a server or a phone number?
Yes. Berty is designed to work with no central server and no phone number, using the Wesh protocol over BLE and the internet (berty.tech). Offline Protocol is also serverless by default: identity verification, service discovery, and message routing happen device to device, and when internet is present it is treated as one more transport rather than a dependency.
Which should I choose for private messaging versus a product platform?
For a self-contained private messenger with no accounts, Berty is purpose-built and open source. If you are building a product that needs a mesh transport, self-sovereign device identity, and the ability to discover and invoke capabilities across devices, Offline Protocol is the SDK shaped for that, with BLE, WiFi Direct, and internet failover and MLS encryption.
