HTTP relay comparison
Simple Relay vs Hookdeck
Looking for a Hookdeck alternative? Simple Relay is an open-source, self-hosted HTTP relay for teams who want durable webhook delivery in one small service.
The right fit depends on what you need to operate. Hookdeck’s Event Gateway offers a managed event platform with routing, transformations, filtering, delivery controls, and observability. Simple Relay focuses on a compact self-hosted deployment, low-latency ACK after persistence, retries, and a built-in dead letter queue.
Other comparisons: Simple Relay vs Svix · Simple Relay vs Convoy · Simple Relay vs Temporal
At a glance
A practical comparison of the products’ primary focus. Hookdeck capabilities can vary by product and plan; see its documentation for current details.
Swipe horizontally to compare all columns.
| What matters | Simple Relay | Hookdeck |
|---|---|---|
| Primary fit | Self-hosted HTTP relay and webhook delivery | Managed Event Gateway for webhook and event flows |
| Deployment | One binary or container; run on your infrastructure | Cloud Event Gateway; Hookdeck also offers Outpost for self-hosted outbound webhooks |
| Webhook acknowledgement | Low-latency ACK after the incoming payload is durably persisted | Event Gateway receives and queues events; compare ACK and persistence behavior for the source and connection setup you plan to use |
| Delivery recovery | Automatic retries, DLQ inspection, and replay | Automatic and manual retries, event replay, and delivery history |
| Routing controls | Route-based HTTP relay configuration | Connections, filters, transformations, deduplication, and delivery groups |
| Operations | Embedded UI and API in the relay service | Hosted dashboard, metrics, issue tracking, and team features |
Product details reviewed October 15, 2026. Product details checked against the Hookdeck Event Gateway documentation and Outpost documentation. Review their current docs and pricing for plan-specific details.
Low-latency ACK for message webhooks
Message platforms such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp send events to your application through webhooks. A low-latency ACK lets your endpoint confirm receipt promptly, while the actual message processing continues in your application.
Simple Relay works as a self-hosted HTTP relay between the provider and your backend. It persists each incoming request before acknowledging it, then delivers the webhook asynchronously:
- Receive the incoming message webhook.
- Persist the request before returning the acknowledgement.
- Forward and retry delivery to your application in the background.
This pattern separates webhook receipt from downstream processing without acknowledging an event before it has been stored. Provider-specific verification and response requirements still apply, so validate them for your integration.
ACK latency varies with deployment and workload. Review the Simple Relay benchmark results and reproduction steps. This is a Simple Relay benchmark, not a Hookdeck head-to-head test; compare equivalent request paths in your own environment.
Example: acknowledge a message webhook before processing it
For a Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp integration, the provider sends an event to Simple Relay. The relay persists the request and returns its ACK; your application then handles the message asynchronously, with delivery retries available if the backend is temporarily unavailable. This focuses the comparison on inbound HTTP intake. Hookdeck Event Gateway also supports inbound event flows with routing and queueing, while Outpost is designed for outbound events from your product to customer destinations.
When Simple Relay is a good Hookdeck alternative
Simple Relay may be a good fit if you are looking for a Hookdeck alternative focused on self-hosted webhook delivery and a lightweight operational footprint:
- Run the HTTP relay as one binary or container on infrastructure you control.
- Persist inbound webhooks before ACK, then deliver asynchronously with retries.
- Inspect failed deliveries and replay them through the embedded UI, API, or CLI.
- Operate the relay without separately deploying a broker or database.
See the quickstart, inbound webhook guide, retry and DLQ guide, and production deployment guide.
When Hookdeck may be a better fit
Hookdeck may suit teams that want a managed event gateway with broader hosted controls such as filtering, transformations, routing, delivery groups, issue tracking, and metrics. Hookdeck also documents Outpost, a separate self-hosted product focused on outbound webhooks. Compare the product and deployment model that match your workflow.
Frequently asked questions
Is Simple Relay an open-source Hookdeck alternative?
Yes. Simple Relay is an open-source, self-hosted HTTP relay for teams whose main needs are durable webhook ingestion, asynchronous delivery, retries, and replay. Hookdeck offers a broader managed event gateway, so compare the features your workflow depends on.
Does Simple Relay support low-latency webhook ACK?
Simple Relay acknowledges inbound webhooks after persisting the request, while downstream delivery runs asynchronously. See the benchmarks for published measurements; results depend on deployment conditions.
Can I use Simple Relay for Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp webhooks?
Simple Relay receives HTTP webhooks and forwards them to a configured destination, so it can be evaluated as a relay for these integrations. Check the provider’s verification, payload, and response requirements for your setup.
Does Simple Relay replace every Hookdeck feature?
No. Simple Relay focuses on self-hosted HTTP relay and reliable delivery. Teams that rely on managed routing rules, transformations, team workflows, or hosted observability should compare those requirements with Hookdeck’s current feature set.
Try Simple Relay
Run the relay, send a test webhook, and see whether this HTTP relay fits your stack.
Start the quickstart · View the source on GitHub
Other comparisons
Explore other webhook infrastructure comparisons: Simple Relay vs Svix · Simple Relay vs Convoy · Simple Relay vs Temporal.