Monocles Chat vs SchildiChat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Monocles Chat | SchildiChat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 464 |
| First released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are Monocles Chat and SchildiChat?
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
SchildiChat
SchildiChat is a fork of Element that adds a unified message bubble layout and other usability improvements. The web version can be self-hosted to connect to any Matrix homeserver.
- Message bubble layout
- Element compatibility
- End-to-end encryption
- Unified chat list
Monocles Chat vs SchildiChat: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: SchildiChat's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Monocles Chat is actively maintained. Monocles Chat is written in Java, while SchildiChat is built with Shell. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Monocles Chat versus AGPL-3.0 for SchildiChat. SchildiChat has the considerably larger community, at 464 GitHub stars versus 100. SchildiChat lists first-class Docker deployment; Monocles Chat does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose SchildiChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Watch out for
- Tracks Element upstream
- Matrix-only
Frequently asked questions
Is Monocles Chat or SchildiChat better?
Neither is universally better. SchildiChat has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Monocles Chat and SchildiChat free and open-source?
Yes. Monocles Chat is licensed under GPL-3.0 and SchildiChat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Monocles Chat and SchildiChat with Docker?
Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support. SchildiChat: yes.