Skip to content
ToolGPA

OpenIM review (2026): is the free plan enough?

Open-source chat, voice and video infrastructure for apps

Free planTeam ChatChecked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Visit openim.ioFree guide

Black Friday: is there a OpenIM sale?

OpenIM report card

2.2GPA

Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026

Best for building chat and calls into your own app

OpenIM is open-source chat, voice and video infrastructure for apps, not a chat app you install and use. The open-source edition is free to host yourself and meant for development. Production-ready clients sit on Business and Enterprise plans with no published price.

Who OpenIM is for

  • Fits if you are a developer who wants chat inside your own product
  • Works for companies that will host their own messaging server

Who OpenIM is not for

  • 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
See the alternatives

Why OpenIM gets a 2.2

Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.

  • CValue for moneyThe open-source edition is free but you host it. Business and Enterprise have no published price.
  • BFree plan and trialOpen source is free to download, with no cap, for developers who host it.
  • CFeaturesChat, voice and video, SDKs and webhooks. Voice, video and meetings are separate paid modules.
  • DEase of useNo rating on record. It is an SDK and server that developers build on and host.
  • BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android SDKs and a server API. Desktop is shown only as a demo app.

What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from OpenIM's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.

Make OpenIM? Put this grade on your site
OpenIM: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA

Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges

<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/openim#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/openim.svg" alt="OpenIM: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>

Where OpenIM stands among team communication apps

OpenIM's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 19.

It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 41 of 75) and worst on ease of use (D, above 1).

Each grade against the category

Every bar is all 76 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. OpenIM’s own letter is outlined.

  • CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 75, level with 39
  • BFree plan and trialAbove 41 of 75, level with 18
  • CFeaturesAbove 1 of 75, level with 61
  • DEase of useAbove 1 of 75, level with 9
  • BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 9 of 75, level with 41

Keep OpenIM, or make your own?

Keep it

To replace OpenIM you would be making chat that a whole team counts on staying up. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.

That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 47 of the 75 other team communication apps grade higher. OpenIM is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.

What you could not

  • Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
  • Video calls.
  • A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
  • An API that other software can build on.
  • What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.

What this rests on. OpenIM’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.

What is OpenIM?

OpenIM is open-source communication infrastructure for building chat, messaging, voice calls and video meetings into an app or an existing system. It supplies a server, client SDKs, server APIs and webhooks, and you can deploy it on your own infrastructure. It is not a finished chat app on its own, though Business and Enterprise editions add production-ready client apps.

Worth knowing

  • 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.

Key features

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.

OpenIM pricing

As of Nov 13, 2026, OpenIM has a free plan.

Starts at
Not published
Free plan
The Open Source edition (server, IM SDK and demo apps) is listed as free.
Free trial
Trials of the commercial editions are available by request.
Open Source$0OpenIM Server and IM SDK for development and custom client integration; you host it yourself.
BusinessCustomProduction-ready client UI on multiple platforms under a commercial license. No price is published.
EnterpriseCustomEverything in Business plus advanced messaging, Kubernetes deployment and high availability. No price is published.

Read from openim.io on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with OpenIM before you buy.

Pricing in detail

OpenIM alternatives

All OpenIM alternatives comparedAll team communication apps

Common questions

Does OpenIM have a Windows app?

No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. OpenIM is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Does OpenIM have a macOS app?

No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. OpenIM is listed for Web, iOS and Android.

Is OpenIM open source?

Yes. OpenIM is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.

Does OpenIM have an API?

Yes. OpenIM offers a public API, according to its own site.

Sources for this page

The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.