Fractal vs Spacebar
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Fractal
GNOME-native Matrix messaging client
VS
Spacebar
Self-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
| Feature | Fractal | Spacebar |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 900 | ★ 2,189 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord |
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 Spacebar if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is Fractal or Spacebar better?
Neither is universally better. Spacebar has the larger community, while Fractal is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Fractal and Spacebar free and open-source?
Yes. Fractal is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Spacebar under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Fractal and Spacebar with Docker?
Fractal: check the project docs for container support. Spacebar: yes.