Revolt 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?
Revolt
Open-source chat platform for communities
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Revolt | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Team Chat | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Rust | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,203 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Revolt or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Revolt is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Revolt and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Revolt is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Revolt and Synapse with Docker?
Revolt: yes. Synapse: yes.