MongooseIM vs Movim
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | MongooseIM | Movim |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,760 | ★ 2,055 |
| First released | 2012 | 2010 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Facebook, Slack |
What are MongooseIM and Movim?
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
Movim
Movim is a federated social networking and instant messaging platform built on the XMPP protocol. It provides a modern web interface for chat, group conversations, and a publish-subscribe news feed.
- XMPP-based federation
- Modern web chat interface
- Built-in blogging and news feed
- OMEMO end-to-end encryption
MongooseIM vs Movim: key differences
MongooseIM is written in Erlang, while Movim is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MongooseIM versus AGPL-3.0 for Movim. Movim is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Movim is the more established project (first released 2010), while MongooseIM arrived in 2012.
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 Movim if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Requires an XMPP server
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is MongooseIM or Movim better?
Movim 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 MongooseIM and Movim free and open-source?
Yes. MongooseIM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Movim under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MongooseIM and Movim with Docker?
MongooseIM: yes. Movim: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, MongooseIM or Movim?
Movim has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.