Tinode vs Convos IRC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Tinode
Open-source instant messaging server
VS
Convos IRC
Always-online web IRC client you can self-host
| Feature | Tinode | Convos IRC |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Artistic-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,452 | ★ 1,188 |
| First released | 2016 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Slack | Slack, IRCCloud |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Tinode or Convos IRC better?
Neither is universally better. Tinode has the larger community, while Convos IRC is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Tinode and Convos IRC free and open-source?
Yes. Tinode is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Convos IRC under Artistic-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Tinode and Convos IRC with Docker?
Tinode: yes. Convos IRC: yes.