Conversations vs Jami
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Conversations | Jami |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,000 | ★ 44 |
| First released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp |
What are Conversations and Jami?
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.
Jami
Jami is a free and universal communication platform that preserves privacy through a fully distributed, peer-to-peer architecture with no central servers. It supports messaging, voice, and video calls.
- No central server, fully P2P
- End-to-end encrypted calls and chat
- Cross-platform clients
- Can run a private rendezvous server
Conversations vs Jami: key differences
Conversations is written in Java, while Jami is built with C++. Jami is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Conversations. Jami is the more established project (first released 2016), while Conversations arrived in 2018. Conversations has the considerably larger community, at 3,000 GitHub stars versus 44. Conversations lists first-class Docker deployment; Jami 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 Jami if…
- No infrastructure required
- Strong privacy model
Watch out for
- P2P can be unreliable behind NAT
- No always-online message storage
Frequently asked questions
Is Conversations or Jami better?
Neither is universally better. Conversations has the larger community, while Jami is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Conversations and Jami free and open-source?
Yes. Conversations is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Jami under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conversations and Jami with Docker?
Conversations: yes. Jami: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Conversations or Jami?
Jami 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.