Comparison table of software implementations

Implementations	LND	Core Lightning
Codebase	written in Go github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd	written in C with plugins in various languages github.com/ElementsProject/lightning
Documentation	api.lightning.community docs.lightning.engineering	lightning.readthedocs.io
Contact	lightning.engineering/slack.html t.me/lightninglab	IRC libera.chat #c-lightning t.me/lightningd
Main advantages	bigger networkshare and team more services built on top detailed documentation bundled with services and GUI in lit binaries provided for various platforms	specs driven modular development ensures flexibility very modest hardware need even as a routing node built with privacy as a priority in mind
Multiple channels between two peers	yes	yes since v0.11.0
Keysend	optional	on by default
Payments	most efficient in finding the shortest path best success rate a cost function takes recent failures into consideration	prefers low locktimes takes channel sizes into account since v0.10.2 (Pickhardt Payments) Slightly more expensive due to randomization for privacy the logic can be replaced with plugins
MPP (multi part payments)	optional	on by default
Swaps	Loop service (with daemon) Boltz.exchange (with daemon) PeerSwap	Boltz.exchange through website + API PeerSwap
Autopilot	built in, but limited	CLBOSS plugin with advanced logic
Watchtower	built in not incentivised	available as a plugin for Eye of Satoshi not incentivised
Dymanic fee settings	solved by external tools like charge-lnd and Balance of Satoshis	feeadjuster plugin, CLBOSS
Dual funded channels	manual, using PSBTs and/or Balance of Satoshis	experimental feature automated with liquidity ads
Paid incoming channels	Pool service including sidecar channels Voltage Flow amboss.space Magma	boltz.exchange plugin liquidity ads amboss.space Magma
Privacy	full Tor support	Full Tor support MPP usage by default Route Randomization Shadow Route (virtual extension of hops)
WebUI	RTL Thunderhub Lightning Terminal	RTL Spark Wallet / Sparko
Mobile Apps	Zeus Fully Noded (iOS only) Zap Android (iOS unmaintained)	Zeus Fully Noded (iOS only)
Database format	bbolt by default (restarts needed to compact) experinemtal etcd full postgres support	sqlite3 by default (compacts on-the-fly) full postgres support
Backups and recovery	seedwords + SCB (status channel backups) github.com/lightningnetwork/lnd/blob/master/docs/recovery.md node-recovery.com	hsmsecret hex (optional seedwords) + append-only (low wear) backup of the sqlite3 database with the backup plugin sqlite3 replication to a custom path or NFS mount lightning.readthedocs.io/BACKUP.html

Resources

• Comparative Analysis of Lightning's Routing Clients

  • Article: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9566199

  • Summary Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/roasbeef/status/1453434255237795840