Session vs qTox
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Session
Onion-routed private messenger with no phone number
VS
qTox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls over Tox
| Feature | Session | qTox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 546 | ★ 4,977 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | Skype, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Session if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose qTox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Session or qTox better?
Neither is universally better. qTox has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Session and qTox free and open-source?
Yes. Session is licensed under GPL-3.0 and qTox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Session and qTox with Docker?
Session: check the project docs for container support. qTox: check the project docs for container support.