Cinny vs Spacebar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Cinny
Simple, elegant and secure Matrix client
VS
Spacebar
Self-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
| Feature | Cinny | Spacebar |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,826 | ★ 2,189 |
| First released | 2021 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Spacebar if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Spacebar better?
Cinny is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Spacebar if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Cinny and Spacebar free and open-source?
Yes. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Spacebar under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cinny and Spacebar with Docker?
Cinny: yes. Spacebar: yes.