Waku vs XMTP

TL;DR

Waku = Privacy-first, permissionless, metadata protection, ~500ms latency, higher complexity XMTP = Developer-first, permissioned (5-20 nodes), fast UX, currently centralized (transitioning)

Core Tradeoff: Privacy & decentralization (Waku) vs Performance & ease-of-use (XMTP)

Critical Technical Differences

Architecture

Waku

• Network: Permissionless P2P mesh (live since Dec 2023)
• Node Operation: Anyone can run a node
• Current Scale: 8 shards, ~80K user capacity, 200K+ users (Status)
• Privacy Model: Metadata privacy + content encryption
• DoS Protection: Rate Limiting Nullifiers (zero-knowledge proofs)

XMTP

• Network: Currently centralized (all nodes = Ephemera), transitioning to 5-20 permissioned operators
• Node Operation: Selected operators only (XIP-54 criteria)
• Current Scale: 2.2M+ identities, 1B+ messages, 60+ apps
• Privacy Model: Content encryption only (MLS standard)
• DoS Protection: Conditional deliverability (planned)

Encryption

Waku

• Noise Protocol Framework
• Applications must implement encryption layer
• Forward secrecy via key rotation
• No quantum resistance (requires upgrade)

XMTP

• IETF RFC 9420 (MLS standard)
• Automatic encryption (handled by SDK)
• Perfect forward secrecy + post-compromise security
• Hybrid post-quantum encryption (XWING/ML-KEM for Welcome messages)
• NCC Group audited (Dec 2024)

Privacy & Anonymity

Aspect	Waku	XMTP
Content Privacy	✅ Encrypted	✅ Encrypted (stronger standard)
Metadata Privacy	✅ Strong (no sender signatures)	❌ Weak (centralized visibility)
Sender Anonymity	✅ Formal proofs	❌ Pseudonymous (wallet-based)
IP Protection	⚠️ Better than most	❌ Vulnerable (centralized)
Censorship Resistance	✅ Strong	❌ Weak (small operator set)

Performance

Metric	Waku	XMTP
Latency	500ms average	Web2-like
Message Size	150KB max	1MB max
Offline Storage	12+ hours (Store protocol)	Reliable node storage
Mobile Support	Light protocols (SDK in dev)	Native SDKs (mature)

Developer Experience

Waku

• Complexity: Moderate
• SDKs: Nim, Go, JS (TypeScript)
• Documentation: Comprehensive, technical
• Must Handle: Encryption layer, content topics, node discovery

XMTP

• Complexity: Low
• SDKs: JavaScript, Kotlin, Swift, React, React Native, Dart
• Documentation: Excellent, developer-friendly
• Automatic: Encryption, cross-app messaging, wallet integration

Economics

Waku

• Currently free
• RLN membership cost: ~$0.05 proposed
• Run your own infrastructure or use public nodes
• No operator fees

XMTP

• Currently free
• Fees coming with mainnet (amount TBD)
• Hosted infrastructure (transitioning to operator set)
• Fee model uncertain during transition

Decision Matrix

Choose Waku If You Need:

• Metadata privacy (not just content encryption)
• Sender anonymity (formal privacy guarantees)
• Permissionless network (anyone can run nodes)
• Strong censorship resistance (no central points of failure)
• Privacy-critical infrastructure (threat model includes sophisticated adversaries)

Accept:

• ~500ms latency
• Implementing your own encryption
• Higher integration complexity
• Running infrastructure or depending on service nodes

Use Cases: Private transaction coordination, anonymous voting, privacy-first social networks, MEV protection, whistleblowing platforms

Choose XMTP If You Need:

• Wallet-to-wallet messaging (EVM addresses)
• Fast time-to-market (days not months)
• Cross-app interoperability (60+ apps)
• Web2-like UX (low latency, reliable delivery)
• Mature mobile SDKs (production-ready)
• Automatic encryption (no implementation required)

Accept:

• Current centralization (transitioning to 5-20 permissioned nodes)
• Weak metadata privacy
• Wallet-based pseudonymity (no anonymity)
• Fee uncertainty during transition
• EVM-only (for now)

Use Cases: Crypto messaging apps, DeFi notifications, NFT marketplace chat, wallet-based social features, DAO communications