Let's Chat vs Matterbridge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted team chat options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Matterbridge
Bridge messages between many chat platforms
| Feature | Let's Chat | Matterbridge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 23 · At risk |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Team Chat | Team Chat |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,797 | ★ 7,573 |
| First released | 2014 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, HipChat | Slack |
What are Let's Chat and Matterbridge?
Let's Chat
Let's Chat is a persistent messaging application for small teams, offering chat rooms, file uploads, and history search. It is a lightweight Node.js application backed by MongoDB.
- Persistent chat rooms
- File uploads and image embeds
- Searchable history
- LDAP/Kerberos authentication
Matterbridge
Matterbridge is a simple chat bridge that connects messages between a wide range of platforms including Matrix, Mattermost, IRC, XMPP, Discord, Telegram, and more. It lets disparate communities stay connected across services.
- Bridges 15+ chat protocols
- Single static binary
- Simple TOML configuration
- Relays files and attachments
Let's Chat vs Matterbridge: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Let's Chat's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Matterbridge is actively maintained. Let's Chat is written in JavaScript, while Matterbridge is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for Let's Chat versus Apache-2.0 for Matterbridge. Matterbridge is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Let's Chat. Let's Chat is the more established project (first released 2014), while Matterbridge arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Let's Chat if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 9.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Watch out for
- No longer actively developed
- Dated interface
Choose Matterbridge if…
- Connects otherwise isolated communities
- Easy to deploy
Watch out for
- No persistent message history
- Bridging quirks per platform
Frequently asked questions
Is Let's Chat or Matterbridge better?
Neither is universally better. Let's Chat has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Let's Chat and Matterbridge free and open-source?
Yes. Let's Chat is licensed under MIT and Matterbridge under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Let's Chat and Matterbridge with Docker?
Let's Chat: yes. Matterbridge: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Let's Chat or Matterbridge?
Matterbridge has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Let's Chat. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.