Dendrite vs Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib
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
Second-generation Matrix homeserver written in Go
VS
Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib
Beginner-friendly framework for Matrix bots
| Feature | Dendrite | Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 5,632 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2017 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack bot framework |
Why pick each one
Choose Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Dendrite or Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib better?
Neither is universally better. Dendrite has the larger community, while Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dendrite and Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib free and open-source?
Yes. Dendrite is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dendrite and Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib with Docker?
Dendrite: yes. Simple-Matrix-Bot-Lib: check the project docs for container support.