Sygnal 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?
Sygnal
Reference push notification gateway for Matrix
VS
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | Sygnal | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | Apache-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 192 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2016 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Firebase Cloud Messaging | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose Sygnal if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Sygnal or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse has the larger community, while Sygnal is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Sygnal and Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. Sygnal is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sygnal and Synapse with Docker?
Sygnal: yes. Synapse: yes.