Delta Chat 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?
| Feature | Delta Chat | Prose |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 916 | ★ 58 |
| First released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram | 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 Delta Chat or Prose better?
Neither is universally better. Delta Chat 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 Delta Chat and Prose free and open-source?
Yes. Delta Chat is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Prose under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Delta Chat and Prose with Docker?
Delta Chat: check the project docs for container support. Prose: check the project docs for container support.