ARN-Messager vs The Lounge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ARN-Messager
Bot which enables multiple Matrix users to use a single third-party IM
VS
The Lounge
Modern, self-hosted web IRC client
| Feature | ARN-Messager | The Lounge |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0-or-later | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | — | ★ 6,309 |
| First released | 2025 | 2014 |
| Replaces | — | IRCCloud, Slack |
Why pick each one
Choose ARN-Messager if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0-or-later license
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ARN-Messager or The Lounge better?
The Lounge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ARN-Messager if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ARN-Messager and The Lounge free and open-source?
Yes. ARN-Messager is licensed under AGPL-3.0-or-later and The Lounge under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ARN-Messager and The Lounge with Docker?
ARN-Messager: check the project docs for container support. The Lounge: yes.