Dino vs Let's Chat
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 | Dino | Let's Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Team Chat |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Vala | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,472 | ★ 9,803 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Skype, Slack | Slack, HipChat |
Why pick each one
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
Choose Let's Chat if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Dino or Let's Chat better?
Neither is universally better. Let's Chat has the larger community, while Dino is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dino and Let's Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Dino is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Let's Chat under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dino and Let's Chat with Docker?
Dino: check the project docs for container support. Let's Chat: yes.