Dendrite Lite vs Tinode
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dendrite Lite | Tinode |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 969 | ★ 13,516 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | WhatsApp, Slack |
What are Dendrite Lite and Tinode?
Dendrite Lite
A Matrix homeserver implementation in Go designed to be efficient and easy to run for small to medium communities. It speaks the Matrix federation protocol so users can chat across the wider network.
- Matrix federation
- End-to-end encryption
- Lower resource use
- Single binary deployment
Tinode
Tinode is an open-source instant messaging server with a backend and clients designed as an alternative to closed messengers. It targets developers building chat into products. It is deployed via Docker or binaries.
- Lightweight messaging server
- Web, mobile and CLI clients
- Group and peer-to-peer chats
- Pluggable storage backends
Dendrite Lite vs Tinode: key differences
Both projects are written in Go. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dendrite Lite versus GPL-3.0 for Tinode. Tinode is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Tinode has the considerably larger community, at 13,516 GitHub stars versus 969.
Why pick each one
Choose Dendrite Lite if…
- Lighter than Synapse
- Open standard protocol
Watch out for
- Some features still maturing
- Smaller deployment base
Choose Tinode if…
- Good developer foundation
- Multiple clients
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- More toolkit than product
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite Lite or Tinode better?
Neither is universally better. Tinode has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Dendrite Lite and Tinode free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite Lite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Tinode under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite Lite and Tinode with Docker?
Dendrite Lite: yes. Tinode: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dendrite Lite or Tinode?
Tinode has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.