Movim vs Zap
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Movim
Social and chat platform built on XMPP
VS
Zap
Decentralized social network with nomadic identity
| Feature | Movim | Zap |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Social Networks |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,038 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2010 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Facebook, Slack | Facebook, Twitter |
Why pick each one
Choose Movim if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in PHP
Choose Zap if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in PHP
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Movim or Zap better?
Movim is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Zap if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Movim and Zap free and open-source?
Yes. Movim is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Zap under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Movim and Zap with Docker?
Movim: yes. Zap: check the project docs for container support.