Cinny vs Monocles Chat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cinny
Simple, elegant and secure Matrix client
VS
Monocles Chat
Privacy-focused XMPP messenger for Android
| Feature | Cinny | Monocles Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,826 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | WhatsApp, Signal |
Why pick each one
Choose Monocles Chat if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Monocles Chat better?
Neither is universally better. Cinny has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cinny and Monocles Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Monocles Chat under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and Monocles Chat with Docker?
Cinny: yes. Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support.