MongooseIM 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 | MongooseIM | Profanity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,760 | ★ 1,542 |
| First released | 2012 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack |
What are MongooseIM and Profanity?
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
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
MongooseIM vs Profanity: key differences
MongooseIM is written in Erlang, while Profanity is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for MongooseIM versus GPL-3.0 for Profanity. Profanity is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. MongooseIM lists first-class Docker deployment; Profanity 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 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 MongooseIM or Profanity better?
Neither is universally better. MongooseIM has the larger community, while Profanity is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are MongooseIM and Profanity free and open-source?
Yes. MongooseIM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Profanity under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MongooseIM and Profanity with Docker?
MongooseIM: yes. Profanity: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, MongooseIM or Profanity?
Profanity has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.