Convos vs MongooseIM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Convos | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Artistic-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,191 | ★ 1,760 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, IRCCloud | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are Convos and MongooseIM?
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
MongooseIM
MongooseIM is an enterprise-grade XMPP server written in Erlang, designed for high scalability and reliability. It supports clustering, REST APIs, and modern messaging extensions.
- Built for massive scale
- Clustering and high availability
- GraphQL and REST admin APIs
- Modern XEP support
Convos vs MongooseIM: key differences
Convos is written in Perl, while MongooseIM is built with Erlang. Licensing differs — Artistic-2.0 for Convos versus GPL-2.0 for MongooseIM. Convos is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM.
Why pick each one
Choose Convos if…
- Stays connected for you
- Simple to deploy
Watch out for
- IRC only
- No voice or video
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Watch out for
- Complex deployment
- Requires Erlang knowledge to extend
Frequently asked questions
Is Convos or MongooseIM better?
Neither is universally better. MongooseIM has the larger community, while Convos is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Convos and MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. Convos is licensed under Artistic-2.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Convos and MongooseIM with Docker?
Convos: yes. MongooseIM: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Convos or MongooseIM?
Convos has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.