# Dendrite vs Tuwunel

> Two self-hosted [Synapse alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/synapse), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Dendrite | Tuwunel |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 53/100 | 68/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #37 of 110 in Chat | #3 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 988 | 2 706 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +19 | +154 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.9.4 · 10 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Go | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Tuwunel scores 68/100 against 53/100 for Dendrite, so it is the safer default.

Tuwunel ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 0 for Dendrite.

If you want the quickest setup, Tuwunel is easier to run; Dendrite needs more configuration.

Tuwunel is growing faster right now (+154 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Dendrite](https://selfhost.directory/project/dendrite) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/dendrite.md)
- [Tuwunel](https://selfhost.directory/project/tuwunel) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/tuwunel.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/dendrite-vs-tuwunel