KiwiIRC vs Synapse
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?
KiwiIRC
Hosted-anywhere modern web IRC client
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | KiwiIRC | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 982 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2011 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose KiwiIRC if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is KiwiIRC or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while KiwiIRC is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are KiwiIRC and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. KiwiIRC is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KiwiIRC and Synapse with Docker?
KiwiIRC: yes. Synapse: yes.