Dendrite Lite vs SchildiChat
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 | SchildiChat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 73 · Good | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Shell |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 969 | ★ 464 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are Dendrite Lite and SchildiChat?
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
SchildiChat
SchildiChat is a fork of Element that adds a unified message bubble layout and other usability improvements. The web version can be self-hosted to connect to any Matrix homeserver.
- Message bubble layout
- Element compatibility
- End-to-end encryption
- Unified chat list
Dendrite Lite vs SchildiChat: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: SchildiChat's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Dendrite Lite is actively maintained. Dendrite Lite is written in Go, while SchildiChat is built with Shell. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dendrite Lite versus AGPL-3.0 for SchildiChat. SchildiChat is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Dendrite Lite is the more established project (first released 2017), while SchildiChat arrived in 2020. Dendrite Lite has the considerably larger community, at 969 GitHub stars versus 464.
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 SchildiChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Watch out for
- Tracks Element upstream
- Matrix-only
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite Lite or SchildiChat better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite Lite has the larger community, while SchildiChat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dendrite Lite and SchildiChat free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite Lite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and SchildiChat under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite Lite and SchildiChat with Docker?
Dendrite Lite: yes. SchildiChat: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dendrite Lite or SchildiChat?
SchildiChat has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite Lite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.