Chatmail Relay vs Prose
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?
Chatmail Relay
Minimal email server tuned for Delta Chat messaging
VS
Prose
XMPP client for team messaging
| Feature | Chatmail Relay | Prose |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 476 | ★ 58 |
| First released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal |
Why pick each one
Choose Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatmail Relay or Prose better?
Neither is universally better. Chatmail Relay has the larger community, while Prose is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chatmail Relay and Prose free and open-source?
Yes. Chatmail Relay is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Prose under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatmail Relay and Prose with Docker?
Chatmail Relay: yes. Prose: check the project docs for container support.