Jami vs Linphone
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Jami | Linphone |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 62 · Good | 74 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 44 | ★ 506 |
| First released | 2016 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp | Skype, Zoom |
What are Jami and Linphone?
Jami
Jami is a free and universal communication platform that preserves privacy through a fully distributed, peer-to-peer architecture with no central servers. It supports messaging, voice, and video calls.
- No central server, fully P2P
- End-to-end encrypted calls and chat
- Cross-platform clients
- Can run a private rendezvous server
Linphone
Linphone is a free SIP-based softphone for voice and video calls and instant messaging. Combined with a SIP server it forms a fully self-hosted communication stack across desktop and mobile.
- SIP voice and video
- End-to-end encryption with ZRTP
- Cross-platform clients
- Instant messaging support
Jami vs Linphone: key differences
Both projects are written in C++. Linphone is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Jami. Linphone is the more established project (first released 2001), while Jami arrived in 2016. Linphone has the considerably larger community, at 506 GitHub stars versus 44.
Why pick each one
Choose Jami if…
- No infrastructure required
- Strong privacy model
Watch out for
- P2P can be unreliable behind NAT
- No always-online message storage
Choose Linphone if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Jami or Linphone better?
Neither is universally better. Linphone has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Jami and Linphone free and open-source?
Yes. Jami is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Linphone under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Jami and Linphone with Docker?
Jami: check the project docs for container support. Linphone: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Jami or Linphone?
Linphone has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Jami. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.