Continuwuity vs Synapse
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
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Continuwuity | 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 | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 4,638 |
| First released | 2024 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
What are Continuwuity and Synapse?
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
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
Continuwuity vs Synapse: key differences
Continuwuity is written in Rust, while Synapse is built with Python. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Continuwuity versus AGPL-3.0 for Synapse. Continuwuity is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Synapse. Synapse is the more established project (first released 2014), while Continuwuity arrived in 2024. Synapse has the considerably larger community, at 4,638 GitHub stars versus 700.
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 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 Continuwuity or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Continuwuity is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Continuwuity and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Continuwuity is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Continuwuity and Synapse with Docker?
Continuwuity: yes. Synapse: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Continuwuity or Synapse?
Continuwuity has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Synapse. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.