Metronome IM vs Monocles Chat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Metronome IM | Monocles Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Lua | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 175 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2012 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Signal |
What are Metronome IM and Monocles Chat?
Metronome IM
Metronome IM is a fork of Prosody that focuses on additional features and out-of-the-box configuration for XMPP communication. It supports modern messaging extensions and microblogging.
- Prosody-based XMPP server
- Built-in PEP microblogging
- Modern XEP support
- Lightweight Lua implementation
Monocles Chat
Monocles Chat is an Android XMPP messaging client forked from Conversations with an extended feature set and theming options. It supports OMEMO encryption, group chats, and audio and video calls.
- Android XMPP client
- OMEMO encryption
- Audio and video calls
- Extensive theming
Metronome IM vs Monocles Chat: key differences
Metronome IM is written in Lua, while Monocles Chat is built with Java. Licensing differs — MIT for Metronome IM versus GPL-3.0 for Monocles Chat. Metronome IM is the more established project (first released 2012), while Monocles Chat arrived in 2021. Metronome IM lists first-class Docker deployment; Monocles Chat does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Metronome IM if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Lua
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Smaller community than Prosody
- Niche project
Choose Monocles Chat if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Metronome IM or Monocles Chat better?
Neither is universally better. Metronome IM has the larger community, while Monocles Chat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Metronome IM and Monocles Chat free and open-source?
Yes. Metronome IM is licensed under MIT and Monocles Chat under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Metronome IM and Monocles Chat with Docker?
Metronome IM: yes. Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support.