OpenIM vs Tinode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenIM and Tinode share a 2.2 GPA, both have a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about the free plan, where OpenIM grades higher, or value for money, where Tinode does.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Tinode
Open-source instant messaging server you host or rent
Which one is for you
Pick OpenIM if
- Fits if you are a developer who wants chat inside your own product
- Works for companies that will host their own messaging server
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a ready chat app, as the open-source part is for building one
- Watch out: Business and Enterprise prices are not published
- Watch out: voice and video are separate modules bought as needed
- Skip it if you do not want to self-host, since Kubernetes deployment is an Enterprise feature
- Too light for production without the commercial clients, as the site says Enterprise is for that
Pick Tinode if
- Fits if you want to own your chat server and its data
- Works for developers adding chat to their own app
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server, as the free edition is self-hosted
- Tight if you grow, since free self-hosting stops near 500 push notifications a day
- Watch out: the stock apps' notifications will not reach your server without your own builds or the push gateway
- Watch out: Cloud is arranged through a contact form, and the site footer reads 2023
- Pricey if you want the admin tool and branded apps, which start at $50 a month
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAOpenIMFair | 2.2GPATinodeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe open-source edition is free but you host it. Business and Enterprise have no published price. | BCloud is $1.50 a user a month, which would count as cheap, but it is arranged through a contact form. The free edition needs your own server. |
| Free plan and trial | BOpen source is free to download, with no cap, for developers who host it. | CBasic is free to self-host, but capped at about 500 push notifications a day. You run the server. |
| Features | CChat, voice and video, SDKs and webhooks. Voice, video and meetings are separate paid modules. | CChat server, web and mobile clients, an extensible backend and chatbots over gRPC. Branding and the admin tool are paid. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. It is an SDK and server that developers build on and host. | DNo rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android SDKs and a server API. Desktop is shown only as a demo app. | BWeb, iPhone and Android clients, with gRPC for bots. No desktop app. |
| Best for | building chat and calls into your own app | a chat server you host for your own app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: OpenIM and Tinode. How we grade
Where they differ
- OpenIM also covers video calls.
At a glance
| OpenIM | Tinode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $1.50 per user / month (Cloud) |
| Free plan | The Open Source edition (server, IM SDK and demo apps) is listed as free. | Basic self-hosted edition is free for small teams: no more than 500 push notifications a day, roughly 350 messages a day. |
| Free trial | Trials of the commercial editions are available by request. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | OpenIM | Tinode LLC |
| Price read from | openim.io | tinode.co |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
OpenIM
- OpenIM is not a single chat app. Open Source is meant for development and custom clients, and the site says Enterprise is for production.
- Business and Enterprise have no published prices; they are bought through a request-a-trial and contract process.
- Voice and video and video meetings are separate modules purchased as needed on the commercial editions.
- The open-source GitHub page lists an Electron demo app for Windows, Mac and Linux, but the site presents these as demos.
Tinode
- Self-hosted mobile apps need either your own builds or the push gateway, because the stock apps' notifications will not reach your server otherwise.
- Free self-hosting is for small teams; above roughly 500 push notifications a day a paid plan applies.
- Support contracts exclude third-party integrations, remote administration and support for end users.
- The site's footer reads 2023, and the Cloud plan is arranged through a contact form.
Key features
OpenIM
- Chat and messaging
- One-to-one chat, groups, large groups, message history, offline messages, receipts, search and multi-device sync.
- Voice and video
- Voice calls, video calls, group calls, video meetings and screen sharing, sold as separate modules for the commercial editions.
- Client SDKs
- SDKs for iOS, Android, web (JavaScript), Flutter and React Native, and the site says it covers 10+ client platforms.
- Server API and webhooks
- Server APIs and webhook callbacks connect accounts, permissions and events to your own backend.
- Self-hosted deployment
- OpenIM Server runs in your own cloud or private network, and Enterprise adds Kubernetes and a high-availability cluster.
Tinode
- Open-source clients and server
- The server is written in Go and can run as a cluster; the site says client software is under the Apache 2.0 license.
- Self-hosting tools
- TnAdmin gives a graphical console for looking up and suspending users, a push gateway handles mobile notifications and a Grafana dashboard is available for monitoring.
- Extensible backend
- Authentication schemes, database backends, file upload, push and credential validation are pluggable adapters, and bots can connect over gRPC.
- Mobile and web clients
- Android and iOS apps are listed in the stores, and a web client runs at web.tinode.co.
- Branded apps
- Paid plans can show your own name and logo in the mobile apps and configure the server connection automatically.
- Support contracts
- Named-contact email support with prioritized bug fixes is sold per installation, with an hourly rate for out-of-scope requests.
Plans
OpenIM
Open Source$0
OpenIM Server and IM SDK for development and custom client integration; you host it yourself.
BusinessCustom
Production-ready client UI on multiple platforms under a commercial license. No price is published.
EnterpriseCustom
Everything in Business plus advanced messaging, Kubernetes deployment and high availability. No price is published.
Tinode
Basic$0
You install and run the server yourself. Includes the push gateway, production monitoring and community support.
Cloud$1.50
per user / month
Tinode runs it for you with 5 GB of file storage per user, custom-branded clients and gRPC access for chatbots. Arranged through the contact form.
Professional$50
per month, one self-hosted installation ($500 billed yearly)
Self-hosted. Adds the TnAdmin tool, auto-configured and custom-branded mobile apps and dedicated support. $25 a month per extra cluster node.
Enterprise$1,500
per year for a standalone installation
Everything in Professional plus assisted installation and email support; $2,500 a year for a 3-node cluster.
Ways to pay less
OpenIM
No public discounts listed.
Tinode
- Annual discount
Annual billing for Professional
The self-hosting page lists $50 a month for a standalone installation, or $500 when billed annually.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, OpenIM or Tinode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenIM publishes no starting price, and Tinode starts at $1.50 per user / month (Cloud).
Which has a free plan, OpenIM or Tinode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both OpenIM and Tinode have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.