Slidge 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?
Slidge
XMPP-to-anything puppeteering bridge framework
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Slidge | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2021 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Beeper, Matrix bridges | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Slidge if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Slidge or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Slidge and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Slidge is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Slidge and Synapse with Docker?
Slidge: yes. Synapse: yes.