Commet vs Synapse
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Commet
Cross-platform Matrix client built with Flutter
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Commet | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Dart | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 100 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2022 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Commet or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Commet is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Commet and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Commet is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Commet and Synapse with Docker?
Commet: check the project docs for container support. Synapse: yes.