Fractal vs Construct
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Fractal | Construct |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | Rust | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 394 |
| First released | 2017 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Fractal and Construct?
Fractal
Fractal is a Matrix client designed for the GNOME desktop and written in Rust with GTK. It supports end-to-end encryption, multiple accounts, and integrates cleanly with the GNOME ecosystem.
- GNOME-native GTK interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Multi-account support
- Adaptive layout
Construct
Construct is a Matrix homeserver implementation written in C++ focused on raw performance and efficiency. It is one of the original alternative homeserver projects in the Matrix ecosystem.
- Written in modern C++
- Designed for low overhead
- Matrix federation support
- Embedded database
Fractal vs Construct: key differences
Fractal is written in Rust, while Construct is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Fractal versus BSD-3-Clause for Construct. Fractal has the considerably larger community, at 900 GitHub stars versus 394.
Why pick each one
Choose Fractal if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Rust
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Construct if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Complex to build
- Limited documentation
Frequently asked questions
Is Fractal or Construct better?
Fractal is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Construct if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Fractal and Construct free and open-source?
Yes. Fractal is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Construct under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fractal and Construct with Docker?
Fractal: check the project docs for container support. Construct: check the project docs for container support.