Metronome IM vs Element Web
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?
Metronome IM
Lightweight, fork-based XMPP communication server
VS
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
| Feature | Metronome IM | Element Web |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Lua | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 175 | ★ 13,353 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Metronome IM if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Lua
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Metronome IM or Element Web better?
Element Web is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Metronome IM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Metronome IM and Element Web free and open-source?
Yes. Metronome IM is licensed under MIT and Element Web under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Metronome IM and Element Web with Docker?
Metronome IM: yes. Element Web: yes.