Element Call vs Dendrite Lite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Element Call
Encrypted group video calls on Matrix
VS
Dendrite Lite
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
| Feature | Element Call | Dendrite Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 984 | ★ 955 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Zoom, Google Meet | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Call or Dendrite Lite better?
Neither is universally better. Element Call has the larger community, while Dendrite Lite is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Element Call and Dendrite Lite free and open-source?
Yes. Element Call is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Dendrite Lite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Call and Dendrite Lite with Docker?
Element Call: yes. Dendrite Lite: yes.