Toxic vs Element X
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?
Toxic
Terminal-based client for the Tox messaging network
VS
Element X
Next-generation fast Matrix client for mobile
| Feature | Toxic | Element X |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Swift |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,301 | ★ 912 |
| First released | 2014 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Skype, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Signal |
Why pick each one
Choose Toxic if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Element X if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Swift
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Toxic or Element X better?
Neither is universally better. Toxic has the larger community, while Element X is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Toxic and Element X free and open-source?
Yes. Toxic is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Element X under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Toxic and Element X with Docker?
Toxic: check the project docs for container support. Element X: check the project docs for container support.