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Matrix & XMPP

Self-hosted Matrix and XMPP servers, clients, and bridges for federated real-time messaging.

59 self-hosted apps · 345 comparisons

All matrix & xmpp apps

Last reviewed Aug 26, 2026 · 444 words

Pick the protocol before the software. Matrix and XMPP both give you federated, encrypted chat on your own domain, but they attract different operators. Matrix is where the momentum is: modern clients, end-to-end encryption by default in private rooms, and bridges into networks you have not managed to leave yet. XMPP is where the efficiency is: ejabberd has been shipping since 2002 and will run a user count Matrix homeservers only dream about on the same hardware. Everything else in this category is a client or a bridge orbiting that one decision.

How to choose your homeserver

The axis that matters most is RAM against maturity. Synapse is the reference Matrix implementation, the one every client and feature is tested against, and it wants 1 GB minimum plus Postgres plus real operational attention. Dendrite, the second-generation Go homeserver from the same team, runs in about half that but still has gaps against Synapse and less large-scale mileage. On the XMPP side, ejabberd is the scalability monster of the whole category, with clustering, MQTT, and SIP built in, and a config surface to match. The second axis is who you are serving: a family of 5 will never notice Synapse's overhead, while a community of 500 will make you care about every one of these trade-offs.

The server is only half the install

A homeserver has no user interface. Budget from day one for hosting a client too: Element Web is the mature choice and runs in 128 MB as a static-ish web app next to your homeserver, with Cinny as the lighter, prettier alternative and FluffyChat covering mobile-first households. XMPP is the same story with Converse.js in the browser. Plans that end at "install the server" produce servers nobody logs into.

One more honest note: federation means the metadata of a room lives on every participating server. Self-hosting Matrix gives you control and ownership, not invisibility.

Where to start

Synapse for anyone who wants the mainline Matrix experience and has 1 GB to spare, because every guide, bridge, and client assumes it. Dendrite for a Raspberry Pi or small VPS where memory is the constraint and missing edge features are tolerable. ejabberd if you already live in the XMPP world or need one server to carry thousands of users.

My default for a first-timer: Synapse with Postgres, Element Web in front, both in Docker on a 2 GB box. It is the heaviest option and still the right one, because being on the well-trodden path counts double in a protocol this young.

Curated picks

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Matrix & XMPP comparisons

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