Chatmail vs Snikket
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?
Chatmail
Minimal, instant-onboarding mail server for Delta Chat
VS
Snikket
Easy self-hosted XMPP chat for groups
| Feature | Chatmail | Snikket |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Mail Servers | Social Networks |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Lua |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 476 | ★ 437 |
| First released | 2023 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal |
Why pick each one
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 Chatmail or Snikket better?
Neither is universally better. Chatmail has the larger community, while Snikket is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chatmail and Snikket free and open-source?
Yes. Chatmail is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Snikket under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatmail and Snikket with Docker?
Chatmail: yes. Snikket: yes.