Conduit vs Nheko
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Conduit
Simple, fast and reliable Matrix homeserver in Rust
VS
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
| Feature | Conduit | Nheko |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,200 | ★ 2,496 |
| First released | 2020 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Conduit and Nheko?
Conduit
Conduit is a lightweight Matrix homeserver written in Rust that aims to be easy to set up and run on small servers. It uses an embedded database and requires minimal configuration.
- Embedded database, no external DB
- Very low resource usage
- Single binary deployment
- Matrix federation support
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
Conduit vs Nheko: key differences
Conduit is written in Rust, while Nheko is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Conduit versus GPL-3.0 for Nheko. Conduit is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Nheko. Nheko is the more established project (first released 2017), while Conduit arrived in 2020. Conduit lists first-class Docker deployment; Nheko does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Conduit if…
- Extremely easy to deploy
- Runs on a Raspberry Pi
Watch out for
- Not all Matrix features implemented
- Smaller ecosystem
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 Conduit 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 Conduit and Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. Conduit is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conduit and Nheko with Docker?
Conduit: yes. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Conduit or Nheko?
Conduit has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Nheko. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.