Libervia vs Hookshot
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Libervia | Hookshot |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50 | ★ 453 |
| First released | 2009 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Facebook | Slack |
What are Libervia and Hookshot?
Libervia
Libervia, formerly Salut a Toi, is a communication ecosystem built on XMPP that offers desktop, web, and command-line frontends. It supports chat, blogging, file sharing, and more over a single decentralized network.
- Multiple frontends on XMPP
- Blogging and file sharing
- End-to-end encryption
- Command-line interface
Hookshot
Hookshot is a Matrix integration bridge that connects rooms to GitHub, GitLab, Jira, RSS feeds, and generic webhooks. It lets teams receive and act on notifications inside Matrix.
- GitHub, GitLab and Jira integration
- Generic inbound and outbound webhooks
- RSS and Atom feed support
- Interactive notification actions
Libervia vs Hookshot: key differences
Libervia is written in Python, while Hookshot is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Libervia versus Apache-2.0 for Hookshot. Libervia is the more established project (first released 2009), while Hookshot arrived in 2021. Hookshot has the considerably larger community, at 453 GitHub stars versus 50. Hookshot lists first-class Docker deployment; Libervia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Libervia if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Hookshot if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Requires a Matrix homeserver
- Configuration is YAML-heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is Libervia or Hookshot better?
Hookshot is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Libervia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Libervia and Hookshot free and open-source?
Yes. Libervia is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Hookshot under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Libervia and Hookshot with Docker?
Libervia: check the project docs for container support. Hookshot: yes.