Convos vs Openfire
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Convos | Openfire |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Artistic-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Perl | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,191 | ★ 3,064 |
| First released | 2012 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack, IRCCloud | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
What are Convos and Openfire?
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
Openfire
Openfire is a mature, cross-platform real-time collaboration server that uses the XMPP protocol. It offers a clean web administration console and an extensive plugin ecosystem for chat, presence, and group communication.
- Web-based admin console
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- LDAP and Active Directory integration
- Group chat and presence
Convos vs Openfire: key differences
Convos is written in Perl, while Openfire is built with Java. Licensing differs — Artistic-2.0 for Convos versus Apache-2.0 for Openfire. Convos is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Openfire. Openfire is the more established project (first released 2004), while Convos arrived in 2012. Openfire has the considerably larger community, at 3,064 GitHub stars versus 1,191.
Why pick each one
Choose Convos if…
- Stays connected for you
- Simple to deploy
Watch out for
- IRC only
- No voice or video
Choose Openfire if…
- Easy to administer
- Long track record
Watch out for
- Java memory footprint
- Dated user interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Convos or Openfire better?
Neither is universally better. Openfire 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 Openfire free and open-source?
Yes. Convos is licensed under Artistic-2.0 and Openfire under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Convos and Openfire with Docker?
Convos: yes. Openfire: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Convos or Openfire?
Convos has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Openfire. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.