Nheko vs Tox
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?
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
VS
Tox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol and core
| Feature | Nheko | Tox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,472 | ★ 2,670 |
| First released | 2017 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Skype, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Choose Tox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Nheko or Tox better?
Neither is universally better. Tox has the larger community, while Nheko is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Nheko and Tox free and open-source?
Yes. Nheko is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Tox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nheko and Tox with Docker?
Nheko: check the project docs for container support. Tox: check the project docs for container support.