Conversations vs Delta Chat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Delta Chat
Decentralized messenger built on top of email
| Feature | Conversations | Delta Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,000 | ★ 929 |
| First released | 2018 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram |
What are Conversations and Delta Chat?
Conversations
Conversations is an open-source XMPP (Jabber) client for Android supporting OMEMO end-to-end encryption, multi-user chats, and file transfer. It works with any standards-compliant XMPP server, including self-hosted ones.
Delta Chat
Delta Chat is a messaging app that uses standard email servers as its transport, providing chat-like UX with end-to-end encryption. Any IMAP/SMTP mail server can serve as the self-hosted backend.
- Uses existing email infrastructure
- Autocrypt end-to-end encryption
- No phone number required
- Cross-platform clients
Conversations vs Delta Chat: key differences
Conversations is written in Java, while Delta Chat is built with Rust. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Conversations versus MPL-2.0 for Delta Chat. Delta Chat is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Conversations. Conversations has the considerably larger community, at 3,000 GitHub stars versus 929. Conversations lists first-class Docker deployment; Delta Chat does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Conversations if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Java
Choose Delta Chat if…
- Leverages decentralized email
- No new server protocol
Watch out for
- Email latency for messages
- Needs an IMAP/SMTP account
Frequently asked questions
Is Conversations or Delta Chat better?
Neither is universally better. Conversations has the larger community, while Delta Chat is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Conversations and Delta Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Conversations is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Delta Chat under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conversations and Delta Chat with Docker?
Conversations: yes. Delta Chat: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Conversations or Delta Chat?
Delta Chat has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Conversations. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.