# Maelstrom 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.

| | Maelstrom | Tuwunel |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 43/100 | 68/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #79 of 110 in Chat | #3 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 265 | 2 705 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | +153 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 0 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | — | v1.9.4 · 10 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | No | Yes ✓ |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Rust | Rust |

## Which one should you pick?

Tuwunel scores 68/100 against 43/100 for Maelstrom, so it is the safer default.

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

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

Tuwunel is growing faster right now (+153 stars in 30 days).

## Details

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

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