Updated 17-Feb-2025
These are more-or-less protocols (well, maybe Signal is not). So instead this article could be named: Signal, Element, Dino
I've used Signal for the past number of years as a chat / videocall app, having switched from Telegram after it went full Nazi. But there are other options, some I've tried. Below are some notes on these various options for personal (perhaps professional) use.
There should be some kind of bridge that can talk, say, from XMPP to Matrix, and to other kinds of chat. The main thing is to find a home, that isn't just a compromise, or supports venture capital dudes.
Signal
- Free, run on donations
- I donate $12/year
- Not really open source as they tend to do a dump every so many months instead of showing activity on the source
- Closed as a platform, cannot run own client or own server. No web client.
- Perhaps blackmailed by Amazon to make enough changes, switched to Google servers, but how good is that?
- Looking for an alternative
- Really great article on the Snikket website: protocols vs. products.
Matrix / Element
- Tried it out for several months
- Too much effort keeping keys and access working
- Not friendly to multiple apps for the same account
- Server requirements are very high, some say not even scalable or practicable in certain situations, especially with open source Synapse
XMPP / Conversations.im / Dino
- PubSub and ActivityPub gateway
- Open source clients and servers, can run own server
- Conversations.im is an interesting implementation, with a decent Android app, free hosting (there are other hosting options).
- Conversations Android app is not bad
- Linux / OpenBSD app Dino is quite competent. See also Dino on Github and Dino on Mastodon.
- Gajim supports Windows and Linux (and v.1.9.5 can change font size via keyboard shortcut), but doesn't support video / voice calls.
- ejabberd is one of several servers one can run, others include Prosody, Openfire and Tigase. Snikket is based on Prosody, and includes self-hosted code and low price hosting (thanks Thej).
- Movim has an overlay blog / social network that can be used with any xmpp account, but I can't seem to be able to log in.
- XMPP looks like the technically better option for what is available (vs. Signal / Matrix)
- Check out this excellent discussion on protocols vs. products, for example XMPP vs. Signal.
Jitsi (video conferencing)
- Open source and own instance
- Unclear of security model
- Web, Android apps
- Kinda replaces Zoom, instead of a chat app
- Complaints of bugginess
Notes
I'll likely rewrite this article if and when I cutover from Signal.