Mattermost 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?
Mattermost
Secure collaboration for developer teams
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Mattermost | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Team Chat | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 38,708 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Mattermost if…
- Great for technical teams
- Strong security posture
- Good integrations
Frequently asked questions
Is Mattermost or Synapse better?
Mattermost is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Synapse if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Mattermost and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Mattermost is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mattermost and Synapse with Docker?
Mattermost: yes. Synapse: yes.