Continuwuity vs Nheko
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
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
| Feature | Continuwuity | 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 | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 2,496 |
| First released | 2024 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Continuwuity and Nheko?
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
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
Continuwuity vs Nheko: key differences
Continuwuity is written in Rust, while Nheko is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Continuwuity versus GPL-3.0 for Nheko. Nheko is the more established project (first released 2017), while Continuwuity arrived in 2024. Nheko has the considerably larger community, at 2,496 GitHub stars versus 700. Continuwuity lists first-class Docker deployment; Nheko 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 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 Continuwuity or Nheko better?
Nheko 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 Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. Continuwuity is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continuwuity and Nheko with Docker?
Continuwuity: yes. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.