Element Web vs Dendrite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Element Web
Glossy Matrix client for the web and desktop
VS
Dendrite
Archived
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
| Feature | Element Web | Dendrite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 94 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,502 | ★ 5,625 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Discord |
What are Element Web and Dendrite?
Element Web
Element Web is the flagship Matrix client, providing a polished interface for chat, voice, and video over the Matrix protocol. It can be self-hosted alongside a homeserver for a fully owned communication stack.
- Full-featured Matrix client
- End-to-end encryption
- Voice and video calls
- Customizable branding
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
Element Web vs Dendrite: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Dendrite's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Element Web is actively maintained. Element Web is written in TypeScript, while Dendrite is built with Go. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Element Web versus Apache-2.0 for Dendrite. Element Web is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite. Element Web has the considerably larger community, at 13,502 GitHub stars versus 5,625.
Why pick each one
Choose Element Web if…
- Most mature Matrix client
- Active development
Watch out for
- Heavier than minimal clients
- Best paired with own homeserver
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 Element Web or Dendrite better?
Element Web is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Dendrite if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Element Web and Dendrite free and open-source?
Yes. Element Web 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 Web and Dendrite with Docker?
Element Web: yes. Dendrite: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Element Web or Dendrite?
Element Web 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.