Bonfire vs Tox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bonfire | Tox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Elixir | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 943 | ★ 2,685 |
| First released | 2020 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Facebook Groups, Discord | Skype, Discord |
What are Bonfire and Tox?
Bonfire
Bonfire is a flexible, modular framework for building federated social networks and digital communities. It supports ActivityPub federation and is highly customizable through extensions.
- Modular extension architecture
- ActivityPub federation
- Customizable community flavors
- Privacy-focused design
Tox
Tox is a free, peer-to-peer instant messaging protocol with end-to-end encryption and no central servers. The c-toxcore library is the reference implementation that powers a range of Tox clients.
- Fully peer-to-peer
- End-to-end encryption
- No central servers
- Voice and video calls
Bonfire vs Tox: key differences
Bonfire is written in Elixir, while Tox is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bonfire versus GPL-3.0 for Tox. Tox is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Bonfire. Tox is the more established project (first released 2013), while Bonfire arrived in 2020. Tox has the considerably larger community, at 2,685 GitHub stars versus 943. Bonfire lists first-class Docker deployment; Tox does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Bonfire if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Elixir
Watch out for
- Still maturing
- Complex to configure
Choose Tox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bonfire or Tox better?
Tox is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Bonfire if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bonfire and Tox free and open-source?
Yes. Bonfire is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bonfire and Tox with Docker?
Bonfire: yes. Tox: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bonfire or Tox?
Tox has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Bonfire. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.