Briar vs Chatmail
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Briar
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging that works offline
VS
Chatmail
Minimal, instant-onboarding mail server for Delta Chat
| Feature | Briar | Chatmail |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Mail Servers |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 800 | ★ 476 |
| First released | 2018 | 2023 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Briar if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Chatmail if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Briar or Chatmail better?
Neither is universally better. Briar has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Briar and Chatmail free and open-source?
Yes. Briar is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Chatmail under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Briar and Chatmail with Docker?
Briar: check the project docs for container support. Chatmail: yes.