Tinode vs mautrix-whatsapp
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?
| Feature | Tinode | mautrix-whatsapp |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,452 | ★ 1,855 |
| First released | 2016 | 2019 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Slack | WhatsApp official client |
Why pick each one
Choose mautrix-whatsapp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Tinode or mautrix-whatsapp better?
Neither is universally better. Tinode has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Tinode and mautrix-whatsapp free and open-source?
Yes. Tinode is licensed under GPL-3.0 and mautrix-whatsapp under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Tinode and mautrix-whatsapp with Docker?
Tinode: yes. mautrix-whatsapp: yes.