SHSelfHostIndex

Element Call vs Dendrite

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?
EL Element Call Encrypted group video calls on Matrix VS DE Dendrite Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
FeatureElement CallDendrite
CategoryMatrix & XMPPMatrix & XMPP
LicenseAGPL-3.0Apache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptGo
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, binary, source
GitHub stars★ 984★ 5,632
First released20222017
ReplacesZoom, Google MeetSlack, Discord

Why pick each one

Choose Element Call if…

  • Strong encryption
  • Federated via Matrix
  • No app install needed
Element Call details

Choose Dendrite if…

  • Much lighter than Synapse
  • Active development by Matrix.org
Dendrite details

Frequently asked questions

Is Element Call or Dendrite better?

Dendrite is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Element Call if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Element Call and Dendrite free and open-source?

Yes. Element Call is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Dendrite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Element Call and Dendrite with Docker?

Element Call: yes. Dendrite: yes.

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