Convos vs gomuks
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Convos | gomuks |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Artistic-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Perl | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,191 | ★ 1,727 |
| First released | 2012 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Slack, IRCCloud | Slack, Discord |
What are Convos and gomuks?
Convos
Convos is a self-hosted, always-online IRC client with a web interface that keeps you connected and logs conversations while you are away. It supports multiple networks and notifications.
- Always-online IRC
- Web interface
- Multi-network support
- Conversation logging
gomuks
gomuks is a terminal user interface client for the Matrix protocol. It supports end-to-end encryption and provides a keyboard-driven chat experience for people who prefer the command line.
- Terminal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Keyboard-driven
- Single Go binary
Convos vs gomuks: key differences
Convos is written in Perl, while gomuks is built with Go. Licensing differs — Artistic-2.0 for Convos versus AGPL-3.0 for gomuks. Gomuks is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Convos. Convos is the more established project (first released 2012), while gomuks arrived in 2018. Convos lists first-class Docker deployment; gomuks does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Convos if…
- Stays connected for you
- Simple to deploy
Watch out for
- IRC only
- No voice or video
Choose gomuks if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Convos or gomuks better?
Neither is universally better. gomuks has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Convos and gomuks free and open-source?
Yes. Convos is licensed under Artistic-2.0 and gomuks under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Convos and gomuks with Docker?
Convos: yes. gomuks: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Convos or gomuks?
gomuks has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Convos. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.