Dendrite vs Nheko
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Dendrite | Nheko |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 77 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,625 | ★ 2,496 |
| First released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Dendrite and Nheko?
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
Nheko
Nheko is a free desktop client for the Matrix protocol built with Qt and C++. It supports end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, and a clean native interface across Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- Native Qt interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Voice and video calls
- Low resource usage
Dendrite vs Nheko: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Dendrite's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Nheko is actively maintained. Dendrite is written in Go, while Nheko is built with C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Dendrite versus GPL-3.0 for Nheko. Nheko is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Dendrite. Dendrite has the considerably larger community, at 5,625 GitHub stars versus 2,496. Dendrite lists first-class Docker deployment; Nheko does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite or Nheko better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite has the larger community, while Nheko is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dendrite and Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite and Nheko with Docker?
Dendrite: yes. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Dendrite or Nheko?
Nheko has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Dendrite. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.