Comparison Table
| Protocol | Decentralized | Encryption | Main Use Case | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XMPP | Yes | Optional | Federated messaging | ejabberd, Prosody |
| Matrix | Yes | Yes | Decentralized chat | Element, Synapse |
| Signal | No | Yes | Secure messaging | Signal, WhatsApp |
| SIP | No | Optional | Multimedia communication | Asterisk, Linphone |
| IRC | No | No | Community channels | Libera Chat, EFnet |
| ActivityPub | Yes | Optional | Social networking | Mastodon, Pleroma |
| WebRTC | Peer-to-peer | Optional | Real-time communication | Video calls, games |
| Tox | Yes | Yes | Peer-to-peer messaging | qTox, µTox |
| Slack RTM | No | No | Team collaboration | Slack |
| MTProto | No | Yes | Secure messaging | Telegram |
| Jingle | Yes | Optional | Real-time multimedia (via XMPP) | Conversations, Dino |
Matrix protocol servers :
| Server Name | Repository | License | Language | Description/Focus | Maturity | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synapse | github.com/matrix-org/synapse | Apache 2.0 | Python | Reference implementation, feature-rich, large-scale deployments. | Mature | Full spec compliance, federation, E2EE, bridges, application services, admin APIs, horizontal scaling. |
| Dendrite | github.com/matrix-org/dendrite | Apache 2.0 | Go | “Second-generation” homeserver, performance-focused, smaller footprint. | Developing | Good performance, smaller footprint, aims for full spec compliance, monolithic/polylith deployments, sliding sync. |
| Conduit | gitlab.com/famedly/conduit | AGPLv3 | Rust | Community-driven, speed, simplicity, ease of self-hosting, lightweight. | Developing | Fast, lightweight, simple deployment, SQLite/PostgreSQL/MySQL support, good for small/medium deployments. |
| Construct | github.com/matrix-construct/construct | ISC | C++ | High-performance server for large, complex deployments. | Experimental | Highly performant, aims for very large deployments, customizability. |
| Ruma | (No single repo – see description) | MIT | Rust | Collection of Rust libraries for building Matrix clients/servers/services. | Varies | Building blocks for custom Matrix software in Rust, high customization. |
Matrix protocol compatible clients :
| Client Name | Platforms | License | Language(s) | Description/Focus | Spec Compliance | UI Technology | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Web, Desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows), Mobile (iOS, Android) | Apache 2.0 | JavaScript (React), TypeScript, Swift, Kotlin | Flagship client, feature-rich, modern UI. | High | Web (React), various | E2EE, Spaces, Threads, Voice/Video, Widgets, Rich Text, Polls, Location Sharing, Communities, Cross-signing, Key verification. |
| SchildiChat | Web, Desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows), Mobile (Android) | AGPLv3 | JavaScript (React), TypeScript | Fork of Element, improved UX. | High | Web (React) | All Element features + UI/UX improvements (themes, faster startup, better notifications, media handling). |
| FluffyChat | Mobile (iOS, Android), Web, Desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows) | AGPLv3 | Dart (Flutter) | User-friendly, ease of use, clean interface, multi-account. | Medium | Flutter | E2EE, Simple UI, fast, cross-platform, push notifications, multi-account. |
| Nheko | Desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows) | GPLv3 | C++ (Qt) | Native desktop client, speed, efficiency, keyboard-centric. | Medium | Qt | E2EE, fast, native look, keyboard shortcuts, reactions, redactions, room upgrades, basic Spaces support. |
| NeoChat | Desktop (Linux, macOS, Windows), Mobile (Android) | GPLv3 | C++ (Qt, Kirigami) | KDE-based client, KDE Plasma integration. | Medium | Qt, Kirigami | E2EE, KDE integration, clean interface, follows KDE Human Interface Guidelines. |
| Hydrogen | Web | Apache 2.0 | JavaScript (vanilla) | Lightweight web client, speed, minimal resource usage. Runs well on low-powered devices. | Medium | Custom (vanilla JS) | Fast, lightweight, low-end hardware support, E2EE, basic features. |
| weechat-matrix | Terminal (Linux, macOS, Windows via WSL) | GPLv3 | C, Python, Lua, etc. | Plugin for WeeChat IRC client, terminal Matrix support. | Medium | Terminal (ncurses) | Terminal-based, customizable, integrates with WeeChat’s features (scripting, triggers). |
| gomuks | Terminal (Linux, macOS, Windows via WSL) | AGPLv3 | Go | Terminal-based client in Go, inspired by weechat-matrix. | High | Terminal (tview) | E2EE, fast, relatively feature-rich for a terminal client (image previews, reactions). |
| matrix-commander | Terminal (Linux, macOS, Windows via WSL) | MIT | Python | command-line tool |