Tinode

A self-hosted instant messaging server in Go with Android, iOS and web clients, aimed at WhatsApp- or Telegram-style chat rather than Slack.

13.5k stars, 2.1k forks Go On GitHub since November 2014

View on GitHub How to run it

What is Tinode?

Tinode is a full messaging stack: a Go backend plus native clients for Android (Java) and iOS (Swift), a React web app, a scriptable command-line client and chatbot support. Clients talk to the server with JSON over WebSocket or long polling, or protobuf over gRPC, with gRPC bindings for many languages. Its authors want to fulfil what XMPP promised, an open federated messenger focused on mobile, without being compatible with XMPP. The README calls it beta quality, feature-complete but with some bugs.

Good fit if

  • You want to run your own consumer-style messenger with mobile apps under your control.
  • You are building chat into a product and need a backend with ready clients.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need workplace chat with channels and integrations: Mattermost or Zulip.
  • You want federation that already works across many servers: Element on Matrix.

Before you adopt it

The server is GPL-3.0, while the clients are under Apache-2.0; the repository's license metadata changed from Apache-2.0 to GPL-3.0 in November 2017. Contributors sign a CLA. One developer writes nearly all of the code, so the project depends on a single person; paid support is sold separately. Docker images and Linux, macOS and Windows builds are available.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

Tinode health: is it still maintained?

59 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    27 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 27 September 2026.
    18 / 30
  • Contributors
    3 people wrote the 27 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 92% of them.
    5 / 20
  • Releases
    5 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.25.3, on 4 July 2026.
    13 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 86% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 8 hours.
    19 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4 of 10.
    4 / 10

Read from GitHub on 3 November 2026. How the score works

Tinode license: is it open source?

Tinode uses GPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. November 2014First published on GitHub under Apache-2.0.
  2. 8 November 2017Changed to GPL-3.0. Commit: github's license selector does not work quite as expected
  3. TodayGPL-3.0. A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run Tinode yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Tinode

  • Rocket.ChatThe Secure CommsOS™ for mission-critical operations 82 health · MIT · 46.4k stars
  • SimpleX ChatSimpleX - the first messaging network operating without user identifiers of any kind - 100% private by… 65 health · AGPL-3.0 · 19.6k stars
  • ZulipZulip server and web application. Open-source team chat that helps teams stay productive and focused. 93 health · Apache-2.0 · 26.2k stars
  • MattermostMattermost is an open source platform for secure collaboration across the entire software development… 74 health · Apache-2.0 · 39.5k stars
  • FluxerA free and open source instant messaging and VoIP chat app built for friends, groups, and communities. 65 health · AGPL-3.0 · 10.8k stars

All 7 projects in Team chat

Questions about Tinode

Is Tinode open source?

Yes. Tinode is published under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Tinode still maintained?

Its health score is 59 of 100 (actively developed). It had 27 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 27 September 2026, and its latest release came out on 4 July 2026.

Did Tinode change its license?

Yes. It moved from Apache-2.0 to GPL-3.0 on 8 November 2017.

How do I run Tinode?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Tinode?

Close alternatives in the Team chat category include Rocket.Chat, SimpleX Chat, Zulip.