Cinny vs Dendrite Lite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cinny
Simple, elegant and secure Matrix client
VS
Dendrite Lite
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
| Feature | Cinny | Dendrite Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,826 | ★ 955 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Dendrite Lite better?
Cinny is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Dendrite Lite if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cinny and Dendrite Lite free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Dendrite Lite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and Dendrite Lite with Docker?
Cinny: yes. Dendrite Lite: yes.