Tinode — Self-Hosted Instant Messaging Platform

Introduction

Tinode is an open-source instant messaging server and set of client libraries designed as a modern replacement for XMPP and similar protocols. It provides real-time messaging with features like group chats, read receipts, typing indicators, file attachments, and push notifications, all accessible through official web, Android, and iOS clients.

What Tinode Does

• Provides one-on-one and group messaging with real-time delivery
• Supports file and image sharing with server-side thumbnail generation
• Sends push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging or TNPG
• Handles user authentication with built-in credentials or external providers
• Offers a gRPC-based plugin system for custom server-side logic

Architecture Overview

The Tinode server is written in Go and communicates with clients over WebSocket or long polling using a JSON-based protocol. It supports MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or RethinkDB as the data store. The server manages topics (chat rooms), subscriptions, message routing, and presence tracking. Clients connect through a stateful session that handles authentication, message delivery, and real-time updates.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Deploy using Docker Compose with pre-configured database and server containers
• Choose between MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, or RethinkDB as the storage backend
• Configure push notifications by providing Firebase credentials in tinode.conf
• Set up TLS by placing certificate files in the config directory
• Use the built-in admin panel or CLI tools to manage users and topics

Key Features

• Official Android, iOS, and web clients with a consistent modern UI
• Plugin architecture via gRPC for custom chatbots and integrations
• Cluster mode with multiple server nodes behind a load balancer
• Video and voice call support through WebRTC integration
• User search, contact discovery, and tag-based topic browsing

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Matrix/Synapse — federated protocol with heavier resource usage; Tinode is simpler and lighter
• Rocket.Chat — feature-rich but resource-intensive; Tinode focuses on core messaging performance
• Mattermost — team collaboration oriented; Tinode targets general-purpose messaging
• XMPP (ejabberd) — mature but complex protocol; Tinode uses a simpler modern API
• Signal Server — privacy-focused but hard to self-host; Tinode is designed for easy deployment

FAQ

Q: Can Tinode federate with other Tinode servers? A: Not currently. Tinode is designed as a single-deployment messaging platform, not a federated protocol.

Q: How many concurrent users can a single Tinode server handle? A: A single instance can handle thousands of concurrent connections. Cluster mode scales further.

Q: Does Tinode support end-to-end encryption? A: Tinode provides TLS for transport encryption. Client-side E2E encryption is not built in but can be layered on top.

Q: Can I build custom clients using the Tinode protocol? A: Yes. Client libraries are available for Go, Python, Java, Swift, and JavaScript with full protocol documentation.

Sources

• https://github.com/tinode/chat
• https://tinode.co/