Movim vs Profanity
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Movim
Social and chat platform built on XMPP
VS
Profanity
Console-based XMPP client inspired by irssi
| Feature | Movim | Profanity |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,055 | ★ 1,542 |
| First released | 2010 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Slack | Slack |
What are Movim and Profanity?
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
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
Movim vs Profanity: key differences
Movim is written in PHP, while Profanity is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Movim versus GPL-3.0 for Profanity. Profanity is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Movim. Movim is the more established project (first released 2010), while Profanity arrived in 2012. Movim lists first-class Docker deployment; Profanity does not.
Why pick each one
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
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 Movim or Profanity better?
Neither is universally better. Movim has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Movim and Profanity free and open-source?
Yes. Movim is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Profanity under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Movim and Profanity with Docker?
Movim: yes. Profanity: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Movim or Profanity?
Profanity has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Movim. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.