Element Web vs MongooseIM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
MongooseIM
Scalable, robust XMPP messaging platform
| Feature | Element Web | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,353 | ★ 1,748 |
| First released | 2016 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Web or MongooseIM better?
Element Web is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider MongooseIM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Element Web and MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Web and MongooseIM with Docker?
Element Web: yes. MongooseIM: yes.