SchildiChat vs Synapse
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?
SchildiChat
Element-based Matrix client with extra usability tweaks
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | SchildiChat | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 465 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose SchildiChat if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Shell
Frequently asked questions
Is SchildiChat or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while SchildiChat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are SchildiChat and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. SchildiChat is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run SchildiChat and Synapse with Docker?
SchildiChat: yes. Synapse: yes.