Chatmail Relay vs Synapse
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Chatmail Relay
Minimal email server tuned for Delta Chat messaging
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Chatmail Relay | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 476 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2023 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatmail Relay or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Chatmail Relay is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Chatmail Relay and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Chatmail Relay is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chatmail Relay and Synapse with Docker?
Chatmail Relay: yes. Synapse: yes.