gomuks vs Openfire
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gomuks | Openfire |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 87 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,727 | ★ 3,064 |
| First released | 2018 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
What are gomuks and Openfire?
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
Openfire
Openfire is a mature, cross-platform real-time collaboration server that uses the XMPP protocol. It offers a clean web administration console and an extensive plugin ecosystem for chat, presence, and group communication.
- Web-based admin console
- Rich plugin ecosystem
- LDAP and Active Directory integration
- Group chat and presence
gomuks vs Openfire: key differences
Gomuks is written in Go, while Openfire is built with Java. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for gomuks versus Apache-2.0 for Openfire. Gomuks is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Openfire. Openfire is the more established project (first released 2004), while gomuks arrived in 2018. Openfire 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 Openfire if…
- Easy to administer
- Long track record
Watch out for
- Java memory footprint
- Dated user interface
Frequently asked questions
Is gomuks or Openfire better?
Neither is universally better. Openfire 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 Openfire free and open-source?
Yes. gomuks is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Openfire under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gomuks and Openfire with Docker?
gomuks: check the project docs for container support. Openfire: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, gomuks or Openfire?
gomuks has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Openfire. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.