Tinode vs Profanity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Tinode | Profanity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,516 | ★ 1,542 |
| First released | 2016 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Slack | Slack |
What are Tinode and Profanity?
Tinode
Tinode is an open-source instant messaging server with a backend and clients designed as an alternative to closed messengers. It targets developers building chat into products. It is deployed via Docker or binaries.
- Lightweight messaging server
- Web, mobile and CLI clients
- Group and peer-to-peer chats
- Pluggable storage backends
Profanity
Profanity is a console XMPP client whose interface is inspired by irssi. It supports OMEMO and OTR encryption, group chats, and a fully keyboard-driven workflow for the terminal.
- Terminal interface
- OMEMO and OTR encryption
- Keyboard-driven workflow
- Plugin support
Tinode vs Profanity: key differences
Tinode is written in Go, while Profanity is built with C. Profanity is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Tinode. Profanity is the more established project (first released 2012), while Tinode arrived in 2016. Tinode has the considerably larger community, at 13,516 GitHub stars versus 1,542. Tinode lists first-class Docker deployment; Profanity does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Tinode if…
- Good developer foundation
- Multiple clients
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- More toolkit than product
- Smaller community
Choose Profanity if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (1.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Tinode or Profanity 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 Profanity free and open-source?
Yes. Tinode is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Profanity under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Tinode and Profanity with Docker?
Tinode: yes. Profanity: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Tinode or Profanity?
Profanity has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Tinode. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.