Dendrite Lite vs Prose
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 | Prose |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 64 · Good |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 50 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 969 | ★ 59 |
| First released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal |
What are Dendrite Lite and Prose?
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
Prose
Prose Web application. XMPP client for team messaging.
Dendrite Lite vs Prose: key differences
Dendrite Lite is written in Go, while Prose is built with Vue. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dendrite Lite versus MPL-2.0 for Prose. Prose is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Dendrite Lite is the more established project (first released 2017), while Prose arrived in 2025. Dendrite Lite has the considerably larger community, at 969 GitHub stars versus 59. Dendrite Lite lists first-class Docker deployment; Prose does not.
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 Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite Lite or Prose better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite Lite has the larger community, while Prose is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dendrite Lite and Prose free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite Lite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Prose under MPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite Lite and Prose with Docker?
Dendrite Lite: yes. Prose: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dendrite Lite or Prose?
Prose has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.