Conduit vs Synapse
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
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Conduit | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,200 | ★ 4,643 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
What are Conduit and Synapse?
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
Synapse
Synapse is the reference homeserver implementation for Matrix, an open protocol for decentralized, federated, secure chat. It targets communities and organizations running their own messaging infrastructure. It is deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Federated Matrix homeserver
- End-to-end encrypted rooms
- Bridges to other networks
- Many compatible clients
Conduit vs Synapse: key differences
Conduit is written in Rust, while Synapse is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Conduit versus AGPL-3.0 for Synapse. Conduit is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Synapse. Synapse is the more established project (first released 2014), while Conduit arrived in 2020. Synapse has the considerably larger community, at 4,643 GitHub stars versus 2,200.
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 Synapse if…
- Open federated protocol
- Strong encryption
- Bridges to other chats
Watch out for
- Resource and maintenance heavy
- Complex to operate well
Frequently asked questions
Is Conduit or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Conduit is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Conduit and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Conduit is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Conduit and Synapse with Docker?
Conduit: yes. Synapse: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Conduit or Synapse?
Conduit has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Synapse. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.