JSXC vs Dendrite
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | JSXC | Dendrite |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 12 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 731 | ★ 5,625 |
| First released | 2013 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are JSXC and Dendrite?
JSXC
JSXC is a real-time XMPP chat application that runs in the browser and can be integrated into web platforms like Nextcloud and SOGo. It supports OTR and OMEMO encryption.
- Browser-based XMPP client
- OTR and OMEMO encryption
- Integrates with Nextcloud
- Audio and video via WebRTC
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
JSXC vs Dendrite: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Dendrite's repository is archived and no longer developed, while JSXC is actively maintained. JSXC is written in TypeScript, while Dendrite is built with Go. Licensing differs — MIT for JSXC versus Apache-2.0 for Dendrite. JSXC is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite. JSXC is the more established project (first released 2013), while Dendrite arrived in 2017. Dendrite has the considerably larger community, at 5,625 GitHub stars versus 731. Dendrite lists first-class Docker deployment; JSXC does not.
Why pick each one
Choose JSXC if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Needs an XMPP backend
- Integration-focused
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 JSXC or Dendrite better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are JSXC and Dendrite free and open-source?
Yes. JSXC is licensed under MIT and Dendrite under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run JSXC and Dendrite with Docker?
JSXC: check the project docs for container support. Dendrite: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, JSXC or Dendrite?
JSXC has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.