Cinny vs Prose
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cinny | Prose |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 64 · Good |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,903 | ★ 59 |
| First released | 2021 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal |
What are Cinny and Prose?
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
Prose
Prose Web application. XMPP client for team messaging.
Cinny vs Prose: key differences
Cinny is written in TypeScript, while Prose is built with Vue. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Cinny versus MPL-2.0 for Prose. Prose is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 64 MB for Cinny. Cinny is the more established project (first released 2021), while Prose arrived in 2025. Cinny has the considerably larger community, at 3,903 GitHub stars versus 59. Cinny lists first-class Docker deployment; Prose does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Cinny if…
- Lightweight to host
- Attractive interface
Watch out for
- Fewer features than Element
- Matrix-only
Choose Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Prose better?
Neither is universally better. Cinny has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cinny and Prose free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Prose under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and Prose with Docker?
Cinny: yes. Prose: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Cinny or Prose?
Prose has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for Cinny. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.