MongooseIM 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 | MongooseIM | Monocles Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,760 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2012 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Signal |
What are MongooseIM and Monocles Chat?
MongooseIM
MongooseIM is an enterprise-grade XMPP server written in Erlang, designed for high scalability and reliability. It supports clustering, REST APIs, and modern messaging extensions.
- Built for massive scale
- Clustering and high availability
- GraphQL and REST admin APIs
- Modern XEP support
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
MongooseIM vs Monocles Chat: key differences
MongooseIM is written in Erlang, while Monocles Chat is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MongooseIM versus GPL-3.0 for Monocles Chat. Monocles Chat is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. MongooseIM is the more established project (first released 2012), while Monocles Chat arrived in 2021. MongooseIM has the considerably larger community, at 1,760 GitHub stars versus 100. MongooseIM lists first-class Docker deployment; Monocles Chat does not.
Why pick each one
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Watch out for
- Complex deployment
- Requires Erlang knowledge to extend
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 MongooseIM or Monocles Chat better?
Neither is universally better. MongooseIM 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 MongooseIM and Monocles Chat free and open-source?
Yes. MongooseIM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Monocles Chat under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MongooseIM and Monocles Chat with Docker?
MongooseIM: yes. Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, MongooseIM or Monocles Chat?
Monocles Chat has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.