Dendrite Lite vs Synapse
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dendrite Lite
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Dendrite Lite | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 955 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2017 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite Lite or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Dendrite Lite is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dendrite Lite and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite Lite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite Lite and Synapse with Docker?
Dendrite Lite: yes. Synapse: yes.