Cinny vs MongooseIM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cinny | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,903 | ★ 1,760 |
| First released | 2021 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are Cinny and MongooseIM?
Cinny
Cinny is a Matrix client focused on a clean, simple and modern user interface. It can be self-hosted as a static web app to connect to any Matrix homeserver.
- Clean and minimal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Static web app deployment
- Desktop builds available
MongooseIM
MongooseIM is an enterprise-grade XMPP server written in Erlang, designed for high scalability and reliability. It supports clustering, REST APIs, and modern messaging extensions.
- Built for massive scale
- Clustering and high availability
- GraphQL and REST admin APIs
- Modern XEP support
Cinny vs MongooseIM: key differences
Cinny is written in TypeScript, while MongooseIM is built with Erlang. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Cinny versus GPL-2.0 for MongooseIM. Cinny is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. MongooseIM is the more established project (first released 2012), while Cinny arrived in 2021. Cinny has the considerably larger community, at 3,903 GitHub stars versus 1,760.
Why pick each one
Choose Cinny if…
- Lightweight to host
- Attractive interface
Watch out for
- Fewer features than Element
- Matrix-only
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Watch out for
- Complex deployment
- Requires Erlang knowledge to extend
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or MongooseIM better?
Cinny is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MongooseIM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cinny and MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and MongooseIM with Docker?
Cinny: yes. MongooseIM: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cinny or MongooseIM?
Cinny has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.