Delta Chat vs The Lounge

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureDelta ChatThe Lounge
CategoryChat & CommunicationChat & Communication
LicenseMPL-2.0MIT
LanguageRustTypeScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, binarydocker, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 916★ 6,309
First released20172014
ReplacesWhatsApp, Signal, TelegramIRCCloud, Slack

Why pick each one

Choose Delta Chat if…

  • Leverages decentralized email
  • No new server protocol
Delta Chat details

Choose The Lounge if…

  • Great IRC experience in the browser
  • Multi-user support
The Lounge details

Frequently asked questions

Is Delta Chat or The Lounge better?

The Lounge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Delta Chat if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Delta Chat and The Lounge free and open-source?

Yes. Delta Chat is licensed under MPL-2.0 and The Lounge under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Delta Chat and The Lounge with Docker?

Delta Chat: check the project docs for container support. The Lounge: yes.

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