Commet vs Fractal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Commet | Fractal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 900 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Commet and Fractal?
Commet
Commet is a Matrix chat client that targets desktop and mobile from a single Flutter codebase. It aims for a familiar messaging experience with support for spaces and end-to-end encryption.
- Flutter cross-platform client
- Spaces support
- End-to-end encryption
- Desktop and mobile
Fractal
Fractal is a Matrix client designed for the GNOME desktop and written in Rust with GTK. It supports end-to-end encryption, multiple accounts, and integrates cleanly with the GNOME ecosystem.
- GNOME-native GTK interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Multi-account support
- Adaptive layout
Commet vs Fractal: key differences
Commet is written in Dart, while Fractal is built with Rust. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Commet versus GPL-3.0 for Fractal. Fractal is the more established project (first released 2017), while Commet arrived in 2022. Fractal has the considerably larger community, at 900 GitHub stars versus 100.
Why pick each one
Choose Commet if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Dart
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Fractal if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Commet or Fractal better?
Neither is universally better. Fractal has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Commet and Fractal free and open-source?
Yes. Commet is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Fractal under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Commet and Fractal with Docker?
Commet: check the project docs for container support. Fractal: check the project docs for container support.