Snikket 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?
Snikket
Easy self-hosted XMPP chat for groups
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Snikket | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Social Networks | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Lua | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 437 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | WhatsApp, Signal | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Snikket or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Snikket is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Snikket and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Snikket is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Snikket and Synapse with Docker?
Snikket: yes. Synapse: yes.