Continuwuity vs Fractal
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Continuwuity
Community-maintained Rust Matrix homeserver
VS
Fractal
GNOME-native Matrix messaging client
| Feature | Continuwuity | Fractal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 900 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Continuwuity and Fractal?
Continuwuity
Continuwuity is a community continuation of the conduwuit Matrix homeserver, written in Rust. It provides an efficient, federated Matrix server with a focus on stability and ongoing maintenance.
- Drop-in conduwuit replacement
- Active community maintenance
- Efficient single binary
- Full Matrix federation
Fractal
Fractal is a Matrix client designed for the GNOME desktop and written in Rust with GTK. It supports end-to-end encryption, multiple accounts, and integrates cleanly with the GNOME ecosystem.
- GNOME-native GTK interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Multi-account support
- Adaptive layout
Continuwuity vs Fractal: key differences
Both projects are written in Rust. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Continuwuity versus GPL-3.0 for Fractal. Fractal is the more established project (first released 2017), while Continuwuity arrived in 2024. Continuwuity lists first-class Docker deployment; Fractal does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Continuwuity if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Fractal if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Continuwuity or Fractal better?
Fractal is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Continuwuity if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Continuwuity and Fractal free and open-source?
Yes. Continuwuity is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Fractal under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continuwuity and Fractal with Docker?
Continuwuity: yes. Fractal: check the project docs for container support.