mautrix-whatsapp vs Syphon
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?
mautrix-whatsapp
Matrix-WhatsApp puppeting bridge
VS
Syphon
Privacy-focused Matrix client built with Flutter
| Feature | mautrix-whatsapp | Syphon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,855 | ★ 1,061 |
| First released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp official client | WhatsApp, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose mautrix-whatsapp if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.9k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Choose Syphon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Dart
Frequently asked questions
Is mautrix-whatsapp or Syphon better?
Neither is universally better. mautrix-whatsapp has the larger community, while Syphon is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are mautrix-whatsapp and Syphon free and open-source?
Yes. mautrix-whatsapp is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Syphon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mautrix-whatsapp and Syphon with Docker?
mautrix-whatsapp: yes. Syphon: check the project docs for container support.