Fractal 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?
| Feature | Fractal | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Rust | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 1,748 |
| First released | 2017 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Fractal if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
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 Fractal or MongooseIM better?
Neither is universally better. MongooseIM has the larger community, while Fractal is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Fractal and MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. Fractal is licensed under GPL-3.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fractal and MongooseIM with Docker?
Fractal: check the project docs for container support. MongooseIM: yes.