head to head · open source
chat vs blocksuite
chat has 13,512 GitHub stars, 2,079 forks, 41 open issues and last shipped 7 days ago. blocksuite has 6,017 stars, 563 forks, 196 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. chat leads on adoption by 125% (13,512 vs 6,017 stars). chat is written in Go under GPL-3.0; blocksuite is written in TypeScript under MPL-2.0. chat has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, blocksuite 9%. blocksuite was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (collaboration), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| chat | blocksuite | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 14K | ★ 6.0K |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Go | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-13 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 2.1K | ⑂ 563 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick chat if
- You weight community size — 14K stars and counting
- You want the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Go
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick blocksuite if
- You want the blocksuite feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and blocksuite fits your workflow better
About chat
Tinode is an open source, full stack instant messaging server that pairs a Go backend with native iOS, Android, web, and command line clients, built for developers and operators who want to run or federate their own messaging platform rather than rent one.
About blocksuite
BlockSuite is an MPL 2.0 licensed TypeScript toolkit for building block based editors and collaborative applications, intended for developers who need to embed, extend, or compose rich content editing rather than adopt a finished product.
read the full blocksuite overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is chat or blocksuite more popular?
chat has 13,512 GitHub stars and blocksuite has 6,017. chat has the larger community by that measure.
Are chat and blocksuite free?
Both are open source. chat is licensed under GPL-3.0 and blocksuite under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between chat and blocksuite?
chat is written in Go and blocksuite in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, chat or blocksuite?
Choose chat if you want the larger community (13,512 stars) or its GPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose blocksuite if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.