SHSelfHostIndex

Monocles Chat vs Tigase XMPP Server

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
MO Monocles Chat Privacy-focused XMPP messenger for Android VS TI Tigase XMPP Server Highly scalable XMPP/Jabber messaging server
FeatureMonocles ChatTigase XMPP Server
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectUnder-an-hour setup
CategoryMatrix & XMPPMatrix & XMPP
LicenseGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaJava
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM128 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentsourcedocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 100★ 359
First released20212004
ReplacesWhatsApp, SignalSlack, WhatsApp

What are Monocles Chat and Tigase XMPP Server?

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

Tigase XMPP Server

Tigase XMPP Server is a Java-based, highly scalable and extensible XMPP server. It is designed for clustering and high availability, supporting millions of concurrent connections.

  • Built for massive scale and clustering
  • Modular plugin architecture
  • Supports many XEP extensions
  • High availability

Monocles Chat vs Tigase XMPP Server: key differences

Both projects are written in Java. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Monocles Chat versus AGPL-3.0 for Tigase XMPP Server. Monocles Chat is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Tigase XMPP Server. Tigase XMPP Server is the more established project (first released 2004), while Monocles Chat arrived in 2021. Tigase XMPP Server has the considerably larger community, at 359 GitHub stars versus 100. Tigase XMPP Server 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
Monocles Chat details

Choose Tigase XMPP Server if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Java

Watch out for

  • Steep learning curve
  • Heavier resource needs
Tigase XMPP Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Monocles Chat or Tigase XMPP Server better?

Neither is universally better. Tigase XMPP Server 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 Monocles Chat and Tigase XMPP Server free and open-source?

Yes. Monocles Chat is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tigase XMPP Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Monocles Chat and Tigase XMPP Server with Docker?

Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support. Tigase XMPP Server: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Monocles Chat or Tigase XMPP Server?

Monocles Chat has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Tigase XMPP Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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