Dino 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?
Dino
Modern XMPP chat client for the desktop
VS
qTox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls over Tox
| Feature | Dino | qTox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vala | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,472 | ★ 4,977 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Skype, Slack | Skype, WhatsApp |
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 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 Dino or qTox better?
Neither is universally better. qTox 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 qTox free and open-source?
Yes. Dino is licensed under GPL-3.0 and qTox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dino and qTox with Docker?
Dino: check the project docs for container support. qTox: check the project docs for container support.