Nextcloud Talk 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?
Nextcloud Talk
Chat, video calls and webinars integrated into Nextcloud
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Nextcloud Talk | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,172 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Nextcloud Talk if…
- Tight Nextcloud integration
- End-to-end encrypted calls
Frequently asked questions
Is Nextcloud Talk or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Nextcloud Talk is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Nextcloud Talk and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Nextcloud Talk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nextcloud Talk and Synapse with Docker?
Nextcloud Talk: yes. Synapse: yes.