In simple English
Tinode gives you your own private messaging system that looks and feels like WhatsApp or Telegram. You can chat one-on-one, create group chats, and make video calls. It comes with apps for your phone and computer, plus a server you run yourself. It costs you the price of a small server and the time to set it up. You control all your own data.
What it is
Tinode is an open-source instant messaging platform with a backend written in Go and native clients for mobile and web. It acts as a modern replacement for XMPP, offering real-time communication through WebSockets and gRPC.
What it is good for
Solo builders who need to add real-time chat to their own app or want a private, self-hosted messaging server for a team or community.
- Includes ready-to-use apps for Android, iOS, and web browsers.
- Supports video and voice calls alongside standard text messaging.
- Connects to popular databases like PostgreSQL, MySQL, and MongoDB.
- Requires technical knowledge to set up and maintain a server.
- Needs enough server RAM to handle active WebSocket connections.
- Licenced under GPL-3.0, which has strict rules if you modify and distribute the code.
XMPP or hosted chat services
PostgreSQL
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git clone https://github.com/tinode/chat.git cd chat/server go build