# profanity-im/profanity

Ncurses based XMPP client

Repository: https://github.com/profanity-im/profanity
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/profanity
Homepage: https://profanity-im.github.io/
Language: C
License: NOASSERTION
License Family: other
Topics: xmpp-client, c, xmpp, chat, ncurses, decentralization, messenger, messaging, federation, privacy, jabber, contributions-welcome
Last push: 2026-08-25T14:10:25+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 91/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 75, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5327, "days_push": 8, "days_rel": 86, "gap_med": 32.5, "n_releases_24m": 7}
- flags: no_license
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 1536, forks 227 (observed 2026-08-28T04:04:59.985469+00:00)

## What it is
Profanity is a console-based XMPP chat client written in C using ncurses and libstrophe, inspired by Irssi. It supports MUC chat rooms, OTR/PGP/OMEMO/OX encryption, roster management, desktop notifications, and plugins in Python and C.

## Use cases
- chat on xmpp from the terminal
- console jabber client like irssi for chat
- encrypted xmpp messaging with omemo or pgp
- join xmpp muc chat rooms from the command line
- privacy-focused federated messaging client
- lightweight terminal messenger for linux
- xmpp client with python and c plugin support

## When to choose
- you want a lightweight, keyboard-driven XMPP client in the terminal
- you need strong encryption support (OTR, PGP, OMEMO, OX) for federated chat
- you value decentralization and running your own server
- you want an Irssi-like experience for instant messaging

## When to avoid
- you need a graphical chat client with rich media previews
- you primarily use non-XMPP networks like Matrix or Slack
- you prefer a modern GUI or mobile-first messaging experience

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: active
- function: chat-interface, security, cryptography, plugin-system, terminal-ui
- domain: messaging-platforms, privacy, self-hosted, cross-platform
- platform: windows, bsd, cli, cross-platform
- tags: xmpp, jabber, ncurses, muc, otr, pgp, omemo, encryption, irssi-inspired, decentralized-chat, command-line, linux, macos, android

## Member repositories
- profanity-im/profanity (main) score 91

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:59.985469+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-30T04:31:06.159653+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/profanity-im/profanity (fetched 2026-08-28T04:04:59.985469+00:00, sha 76b97018ab81)
  - homepage: https://profanity-im.github.io/ (fetched 2026-08-29T11:32:51.101639+00:00, sha eb549550c456)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.