Session 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?
Session
Onion-routed private messenger with no phone number
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Session | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 546 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Session if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Session or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Session is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Session and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Session is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Session and Synapse with Docker?
Session: check the project docs for container support. Synapse: yes.