Prose vs Session
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?
| Feature | Prose | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | MPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 58 | ★ 546 |
| First released | 2025 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
Why pick each one
Choose Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Choose Session if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Prose or Session better?
Neither is universally better. Session has the larger community, while Prose is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Prose and Session free and open-source?
Yes. Prose is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Session under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Prose and Session with Docker?
Prose: check the project docs for container support. Session: check the project docs for container support.