Delta Chat 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?
Delta Chat
Decentralized messenger built on top of email
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Delta Chat | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 916 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Delta Chat or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Delta Chat is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Delta Chat and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Delta Chat is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Delta Chat and Synapse with Docker?
Delta Chat: check the project docs for container support. Synapse: yes.