FluffyChat vs Openfire
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?
FluffyChat
Cute, cross-platform Matrix messenger
VS
Openfire
Real-time collaboration XMPP server written in Java
| Feature | FluffyChat | Openfire |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Dart | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,039 | ★ 3,052 |
| First released | 2019 | 2004 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Telegram | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose FluffyChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3k GitHub stars)
- Written in Dart
Frequently asked questions
Is FluffyChat or Openfire better?
Neither is universally better. Openfire has the larger community, while FluffyChat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are FluffyChat and Openfire free and open-source?
Yes. FluffyChat is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Openfire under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run FluffyChat and Openfire with Docker?
FluffyChat: check the project docs for container support. Openfire: yes.