Cinny vs JSXC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cinny | JSXC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 12 · At risk |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,903 | ★ 731 |
| First released | 2021 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack |
What are Cinny and JSXC?
Cinny
Cinny is a Matrix client focused on a clean, simple and modern user interface. It can be self-hosted as a static web app to connect to any Matrix homeserver.
- Clean and minimal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Static web app deployment
- Desktop builds available
JSXC
JSXC is a real-time XMPP chat application that runs in the browser and can be integrated into web platforms like Nextcloud and SOGo. It supports OTR and OMEMO encryption.
- Browser-based XMPP client
- OTR and OMEMO encryption
- Integrates with Nextcloud
- Audio and video via WebRTC
Cinny vs JSXC: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Cinny versus MIT for JSXC. JSXC is the more established project (first released 2013), while Cinny arrived in 2021. Cinny has the considerably larger community, at 3,903 GitHub stars versus 731. Cinny lists first-class Docker deployment; JSXC does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Cinny if…
- Lightweight to host
- Attractive interface
Watch out for
- Fewer features than Element
- Matrix-only
Choose JSXC if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Needs an XMPP backend
- Integration-focused
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or JSXC better?
Cinny is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider JSXC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cinny and JSXC free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and JSXC under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and JSXC with Docker?
Cinny: yes. JSXC: check the project docs for container support.