CoyIM vs qTox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
CoyIM
Secure desktop XMPP client with OTR encryption
VS
qTox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls over Tox
| Feature | CoyIM | qTox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 615 | ★ 4,977 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Skype | Skype, WhatsApp |
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 qTox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is CoyIM or qTox better?
Neither is universally better. qTox has the larger community, while CoyIM is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CoyIM and qTox free and open-source?
Yes. CoyIM is licensed under GPL-3.0 and qTox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CoyIM and qTox with Docker?
CoyIM: check the project docs for container support. qTox: check the project docs for container support.