Metronome IM vs FluffyChat
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
FluffyChat
Cute, cross-platform Matrix messenger
| Feature | Metronome IM | FluffyChat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Lua | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 175 | ★ 3,039 |
| First released | 2012 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Telegram |
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
Choose FluffyChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Dart
Frequently asked questions
Is Metronome IM or FluffyChat better?
FluffyChat 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 FluffyChat free and open-source?
Yes. Metronome IM is licensed under MIT and FluffyChat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Metronome IM and FluffyChat with Docker?
Metronome IM: yes. FluffyChat: check the project docs for container support.