Let's Chat vs Openfire
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Let's Chat
Self-hosted chat app for small teams
VS
Openfire
Real-time collaboration XMPP server written in Java
| Feature | Let's Chat | Openfire |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Team Chat | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 9,803 | ★ 3,052 |
| First released | 2014 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack, HipChat | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Let's Chat or Openfire 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 Openfire free and open-source?
Yes. Let's Chat is licensed under MIT and Openfire under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Let's Chat and Openfire with Docker?
Let's Chat: yes. Openfire: yes.