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Overview
SAMA Server is a Node.js real-time messaging server built on uWebSockets.js. It stores application data in MongoDB, uses Redis to coordinate multi-node connections and user state, and can integrate MinIO or other S3-compatible storage.
Features and best fit
Based on official documentation; not hands-on tested · Content checked:
Key features
Expose chat functionality through WebSocket and HTTP APIs
The project documents APIs for users, conversations, messages, activities, address books, and push notifications for browser and mobile clients.
Sources: [2]
Discover and connect multiple nodes through Redis
Each node publishes endpoint and user/device state in Redis, discovers peers, creates WebSocket links, reconnects on failure, and cleans data for destroyed nodes.
Sources: [2]
Run client, server, databases, and object storage in one full Compose stack
docker-compose-full.yml defines the SAMA client, nginx, server, push services, MongoDB, Redis, and MinIO together.
Sources: [3]
Best fit
Fits teams building a self-hosted messaging backend around a custom protocol and API
It is relevant when a product needs a WebSocket-centric chat backend under its own operational control rather than adopting a full XMPP stack.
Sources: [2]
Before adoption
Replace all development credentials before public deployment
Repository environment files contain sample JWT secrets, MinIO credentials, admin keys, and development CORS settings. Replace credentials and configure TLS before exposure.
Sources: [3]
Redesign the development network topology for production
The full Compose stack uses fixed private IPs and several local services and ports. Production deployments need their own HA, persistence, backup, TLS termination, and monitoring design.
Sources: [3]
Review GPL-3.0 distribution obligations
SAMA Server is GPL-3.0 licensed. Distribution of modified or derivative versions should be reviewed for corresponding source-code obligations.
Sources: [6]
Official sources
- [1]SAMA-Communications/sama-server repository(2026-10-01)
- [2]SAMA Server README(2026-10-01)
- [3]SAMA full Docker Compose(2026-10-01)
- [4]SAMA Server package.json(2026-10-01)
- [5]SAMA Server 0.37.2 release(2026-10-01)
- [6]SAMA Server GPL-3.0 license(2026-10-01)
Supplemental curator note
SAMA is a real-time messaging server positioned as an alternative to XMPP-style stacks. The repository documents Redis-backed multi-node discovery and includes a full Docker Compose environment with client, nginx, MongoDB, Redis, and MinIO.
Try it in 3 steps
- 1
Clone SAMA Server
Fetch the official repository containing the server and full Docker Compose stack.
git clone https://github.com/SAMA-Communications/sama-server.git && cd sama-server - 2
Review development credentials
Review JWT, MinIO, admin-key, CORS, and other development values. Never expose the sample credentials unchanged.
Edit .env.docker and replace sample secrets before any exposed deployment - 3
Start the full stack
Build and start the client, nginx, SAMA Server, MongoDB, Redis, MinIO, and related services.
docker compose -f docker-compose-full.yml up -d --build
Growth
Growth trends · Last 30 days
158 Stars
Trend data is still being collected.
Development activity
Last 90 days · weekly
- Commits (last 30 days)
- 1
- Open PRs
- 1
Development activity is still being collected.
Built with
Categories and tags
GitHub data
GitHub dataView detailed GitHub data
GitHub Topics
- chat
- chat-application
- chat-server
- chatserver
- nodejs
- websocket
- xmpp
- xmpp-server
- Stars
- 158
- Forks
- 14
- Watchers
- 4
- Open issues
- 1
- Contributors
- 5
- Owner type
- Organization
- Primary language
- JavaScript
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Repository last updated
- Sep 30, 2026
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