mautrix-whatsapp vs MongooseIM
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?
mautrix-whatsapp
Matrix-WhatsApp puppeting bridge
VS
MongooseIM
Scalable, robust XMPP messaging platform
| Feature | mautrix-whatsapp | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,855 | ★ 1,748 |
| First released | 2019 | 2012 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp official client | Slack, WhatsApp |
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
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Frequently asked questions
Is mautrix-whatsapp or MongooseIM better?
mautrix-whatsapp is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider MongooseIM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are mautrix-whatsapp and MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. mautrix-whatsapp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mautrix-whatsapp and MongooseIM with Docker?
mautrix-whatsapp: yes. MongooseIM: yes.