gomuks vs Syphon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | gomuks | Syphon |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 85 · Excellent | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,727 | ★ 1,059 |
| First released | 2018 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | WhatsApp, Discord |
What are gomuks and Syphon?
gomuks
gomuks is a terminal user interface client for the Matrix protocol. It supports end-to-end encryption and provides a keyboard-driven chat experience for people who prefer the command line.
- Terminal UI
- End-to-end encryption
- Keyboard-driven
- Single Go binary
Syphon
Syphon is a Matrix messaging client that emphasizes privacy and a calm, distraction-free interface, built with Flutter for desktop and mobile. It supports end-to-end encryption out of the box.
- Privacy-first Matrix client
- End-to-end encryption
- Distraction-free design
- Desktop and mobile
gomuks vs Syphon: key differences
Gomuks is written in Go, while Syphon is built with Dart. Gomuks is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Syphon. Gomuks is the more established project (first released 2018), while Syphon arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose gomuks if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose Syphon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Dart
Frequently asked questions
Is gomuks or Syphon better?
Neither is universally better. gomuks has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are gomuks and Syphon free and open-source?
Yes. gomuks is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Syphon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gomuks and Syphon with Docker?
gomuks: check the project docs for container support. Syphon: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, gomuks or Syphon?
gomuks has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Syphon. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.