Element X vs Dendrite Lite
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?
Element X
Next-generation fast Matrix client for mobile
VS
Dendrite Lite
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
| Feature | Element X | Dendrite Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Swift | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 912 | ★ 955 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Element X if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Swift
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Element X or Dendrite Lite better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite Lite has the larger community, while Element X is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Element X and Dendrite Lite free and open-source?
Yes. Element X is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Dendrite Lite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element X and Dendrite Lite with Docker?
Element X: check the project docs for container support. Dendrite Lite: yes.