Commet vs Nheko
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Commet | Nheko |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 2,496 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Commet and Nheko?
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
Nheko
Nheko is a free desktop client for the Matrix protocol built with Qt and C++. It supports end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, and a clean native interface across Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- Native Qt interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Voice and video calls
- Low resource usage
Commet vs Nheko: key differences
Commet is written in Dart, while Nheko is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Commet versus GPL-3.0 for Nheko. Nheko is the more established project (first released 2017), while Commet arrived in 2022. Nheko has the considerably larger community, at 2,496 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 Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Commet or Nheko better?
Neither is universally better. Nheko has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Commet and Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. Commet is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Commet and Nheko with Docker?
Commet: check the project docs for container support. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.