gomuks vs Tinode
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gomuks | Tinode |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,727 | ★ 13,516 |
| First released | 2018 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | WhatsApp, Slack |
What are gomuks and Tinode?
gomuks
gomuks is a terminal user interface client for the Matrix protocol. It supports end-to-end encryption and provides a keyboard-driven chat experience for people who prefer the command line.
- Terminal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Keyboard-driven
- Single Go binary
Tinode
Tinode is an open-source instant messaging server with a backend and clients designed as an alternative to closed messengers. It targets developers building chat into products. It is deployed via Docker or binaries.
- Lightweight messaging server
- Web, mobile and CLI clients
- Group and peer-to-peer chats
- Pluggable storage backends
gomuks vs Tinode: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for gomuks versus GPL-3.0 for Tinode. Gomuks is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Tinode. Tinode is the more established project (first released 2016), while gomuks arrived in 2018. Tinode has the considerably larger community, at 13,516 GitHub stars versus 1,727. Tinode lists first-class Docker deployment; gomuks does not.
Why pick each one
Choose gomuks if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose Tinode if…
- Good developer foundation
- Multiple clients
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- More toolkit than product
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is gomuks or Tinode better?
Neither is universally better. Tinode has the larger community, while gomuks is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are gomuks and Tinode free and open-source?
Yes. gomuks is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Tinode under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gomuks and Tinode with Docker?
gomuks: check the project docs for container support. Tinode: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, gomuks or Tinode?
gomuks has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Tinode. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.