CoyIM vs Dino
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | CoyIM | Dino |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 616 | ★ 2,492 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Skype | Skype, Slack |
What are CoyIM and Dino?
CoyIM
CoyIM is a security-focused XMPP chat client that connects only over Tor by default and supports OTR encrypted conversations. It is a self-contained desktop application for private messaging.
- Security-focused XMPP client
- OTR encryption by default
- Tor integration
Dino
Dino is a free desktop XMPP client built with GTK that focuses on a clean, modern interface. It supports end-to-end encryption with OMEMO, file transfer, and audio and video calls.
- Modern GTK interface
- OMEMO encryption
- Audio and video calls
- Multiple account support
CoyIM vs Dino: key differences
CoyIM is written in Go, while Dino is built with Vala. Dino has the considerably larger community, at 2,492 GitHub stars versus 616.
Why pick each one
Choose CoyIM if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Choose Dino if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Vala
Frequently asked questions
Is CoyIM or Dino better?
Neither is universally better. Dino has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CoyIM and Dino free and open-source?
Yes. CoyIM is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Dino under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CoyIM and Dino with Docker?
CoyIM: check the project docs for container support. Dino: check the project docs for container support.