Prose vs Syphon
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Prose | Syphon |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 64 · Good | 14 · At risk |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | MPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vue | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 50 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 59 | ★ 1,059 |
| First released | 2025 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Discord, Facebook Messenger, Signal | WhatsApp, Discord |
What are Prose and Syphon?
Prose
Prose Web application. XMPP client for team messaging.
Syphon
Syphon is a Matrix messaging client that emphasizes privacy and a calm, distraction-free interface, built with Flutter for desktop and mobile. It supports end-to-end encryption out of the box.
- Privacy-first Matrix client
- End-to-end encryption
- Distraction-free design
- Desktop and mobile
Prose vs Syphon: key differences
Prose is written in Vue, while Syphon is built with Dart. Licensing differs — MPL-2.0 for Prose versus AGPL-3.0 for Syphon. Prose is the lighter option, starting around 50 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Syphon. Syphon is the more established project (first released 2020), while Prose arrived in 2025. Syphon has the considerably larger community, at 1,059 GitHub stars versus 59.
Why pick each one
Choose Prose if…
- Released under the MPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 50 MB RAM
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 Prose or Syphon better?
Neither is universally better. Syphon has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Prose and Syphon free and open-source?
Yes. Prose is licensed under MPL-2.0 and Syphon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Prose and Syphon with Docker?
Prose: check the project docs for container support. Syphon: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Prose or Syphon?
Prose has the smaller minimum footprint at 50 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Syphon. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.