Cinny vs SchildiChat
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cinny | SchildiChat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,903 | ★ 464 |
| First released | 2021 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are Cinny and SchildiChat?
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
SchildiChat
SchildiChat is a fork of Element that adds a unified message bubble layout and other usability improvements. The web version can be self-hosted to connect to any Matrix homeserver.
- Message bubble layout
- Element compatibility
- End-to-end encryption
- Unified chat list
Cinny vs SchildiChat: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: SchildiChat's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Cinny is actively maintained. Cinny is written in TypeScript, while SchildiChat is built with Shell. Cinny is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for SchildiChat. Cinny has the considerably larger community, at 3,903 GitHub stars versus 464.
Why pick each one
Choose Cinny if…
- Lightweight to host
- Attractive interface
Watch out for
- Fewer features than Element
- Matrix-only
Choose SchildiChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Watch out for
- Tracks Element upstream
- Matrix-only
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or SchildiChat 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 SchildiChat free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SchildiChat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and SchildiChat with Docker?
Cinny: yes. SchildiChat: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Cinny or SchildiChat?
Cinny has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for SchildiChat. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.