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.
Not the right match-up?
Continuwuity
Community-maintained Rust Matrix homeserver
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Continuwuity | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2024 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
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
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.