Dino vs Dendrite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dino | Dendrite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Vala | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,492 | ★ 5,625 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Skype, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Dino and Dendrite?
Dino
Dino is a free desktop XMPP client built with GTK that focuses on a clean, modern interface. It supports end-to-end encryption with OMEMO, file transfer, and audio and video calls.
- Modern GTK interface
- OMEMO encryption
- Audio and video calls
- Multiple account support
Dendrite
Dendrite is a lightweight, efficient Matrix homeserver written in Go by the Matrix.org team. It is designed to be a more resource-efficient alternative to Synapse while remaining fully compatible with the Matrix protocol.
- Lower memory footprint than Synapse
- Federated Matrix protocol
- End-to-end encryption support
- Polylith and monolith deployment modes
Dino vs Dendrite: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Dendrite's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Dino is actively maintained. Dino is written in Vala, while Dendrite is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Dino versus Apache-2.0 for Dendrite. Dino is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite. Dendrite has the considerably larger community, at 5,625 GitHub stars versus 2,492. Dendrite lists first-class Docker deployment; Dino does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Dino if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Vala
Choose Dendrite if…
- Much lighter than Synapse
- Active development by Matrix.org
Watch out for
- Some Synapse features still missing
- Less battle-tested at large scale
Frequently asked questions
Is Dino or Dendrite better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite has the larger community, while Dino is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dino and Dendrite free and open-source?
Yes. Dino is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Dendrite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dino and Dendrite with Docker?
Dino: check the project docs for container support. Dendrite: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Dino or Dendrite?
Dino has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.