Cinny vs Construct
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cinny | Construct |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 11 · At risk |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,903 | ★ 394 |
| First released | 2021 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Cinny and Construct?
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
Construct
Construct is a Matrix homeserver implementation written in C++ focused on raw performance and efficiency. It is one of the original alternative homeserver projects in the Matrix ecosystem.
- Written in modern C++
- Designed for low overhead
- Matrix federation support
- Embedded database
Cinny vs Construct: key differences
Cinny is written in TypeScript, while Construct is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Cinny versus BSD-3-Clause for Construct. Cinny is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Construct. Construct is the more established project (first released 2018), while Cinny arrived in 2021. Cinny has the considerably larger community, at 3,903 GitHub stars versus 394. Cinny lists first-class Docker deployment; Construct does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Cinny if…
- Lightweight to host
- Attractive interface
Watch out for
- Fewer features than Element
- Matrix-only
Choose Construct if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Complex to build
- Limited documentation
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Construct better?
Cinny is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Construct if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cinny and Construct free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Construct under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and Construct with Docker?
Cinny: yes. Construct: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Cinny or Construct?
Cinny has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Construct. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.