Snikket vs qTox
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?
Snikket
Easy self-hosted XMPP chat for groups
VS
qTox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls over Tox
| Feature | Snikket | qTox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Lua | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 4,977 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Skype, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
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 Snikket or qTox better?
Neither is universally better. qTox has the larger community, while Snikket is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Snikket and qTox free and open-source?
Yes. Snikket is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and qTox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Snikket and qTox with Docker?
Snikket: yes. qTox: check the project docs for container support.