SHSelfHostIndex

Commet vs Syphon

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?
CO Commet Cross-platform Matrix client built with Flutter VS SY Syphon Privacy-focused Matrix client built with Flutter
FeatureCommetSyphon
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectRead-the-docs project
CategoryMatrix & XMPPMatrix & XMPP
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageDartDart
Setup difficultyEasyEasy
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcebinary, source
GitHub stars★ 100★ 1,059
First released20222020
ReplacesDiscord, SlackWhatsApp, Discord

What are Commet and Syphon?

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

Syphon

Syphon is a Matrix messaging client that emphasizes privacy and a calm, distraction-free interface, built with Flutter for desktop and mobile. It supports end-to-end encryption out of the box.

  • Privacy-first Matrix client
  • End-to-end encryption
  • Distraction-free design
  • Desktop and mobile

Commet vs Syphon: key differences

Both projects are written in Dart. Syphon is the more established project (first released 2020), while Commet arrived in 2022. Syphon has the considerably larger community, at 1,059 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
Commet details

Choose Syphon if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
  • Written in Dart
Syphon details

Frequently asked questions

Is Commet or Syphon better?

Neither is universally better. Syphon has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Commet and Syphon free and open-source?

Yes. Commet is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Syphon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Commet and Syphon with Docker?

Commet: check the project docs for container support. Syphon: check the project docs for container support.

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