Alternatives to Cinny
Chat on Matrix through a focused desktop client. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
Cinny
Chat on Matrix through a focused desktop client.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as Cinny.
Element
The reference Matrix client: end-to-end encrypted chat on a network you can host yourself.
Element is the reference Matrix client with desktop, web and mobile apps plus bridges to other networks, but uses more memory and adds key management steps.
Nheko
Use Matrix messaging in a native desktop interface.
Nheko is a native Matrix desktop client under GPL-3.0 with calling features, though the project says its encryption implementation has not been audited.
FluffyChat
An open-source Matrix chat client with end-to-end encryption, spaces and optional UnifiedPush notifications.
FluffyChat adds Android, iOS and web apps with UnifiedPush notifications and spaces, but runs on Linux only among desktop systems.
Pidgin
A chat client that signs in to several networks at once, supporting XMPP, IRC, Matrix and more through plugins.
Pidgin reaches Matrix through plugins alongside XMPP and IRC in one window, with an older interface and plugins that can break.
Fractal
A Matrix chat client for the GNOME desktop on Linux, written in Rust with GTK.
Fractal is a native GTK Matrix client written in Rust for GNOME, so moving means using Linux only instead of Windows and macOS too.
NeoChat
A KDE chat client for the Matrix network, available for Linux and Windows.
NeoChat is a KDE Matrix client for Linux and Windows with polls and location sharing, but it lacks calls, threads and complete encryption support.
gomuks
A Matrix chat client written in Go, with a web frontend and an optional server backend.
gomuks is a Go Matrix client with a web frontend and optional bouncer-style server backend, with Android and desktop wrappers instead of Tauri packages.
iamb
A terminal Matrix client with Vim keybindings, windows and tabs.
iamb moves Matrix chat into the terminal with Vim keybindings, threads and spaces, but has no graphical interface and is still pre-1.0.
Also worth comparing
These listings name Cinny as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
Ement.el
A Matrix chat client that runs inside GNU Emacs.
Cinny is a focused graphical Matrix desktop client with native packages built using Tauri, replacing Emacs buffers with a standalone window.
SchildiChat
A family of Matrix messaging apps based on Element, with a more traditional messenger layout.
Cinny is an open-source Matrix desktop client built with Tauri, moving use from Android to Windows, macOS and Linux.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Matrix Hookshot
A self-hosted Matrix bot that bridges GitHub, GitLab, Jira, feeds and generic webhooks into rooms.
Zulip
Team chat organised by topic inside each channel, so conversations stay readable when you come back hours later.
Mattermost
A self-hosted team chat platform with a desktop client, aimed at organisations that want Slack without the cloud.
Synapse
A self-hosted Matrix homeserver, written in Python and Rust and maintained by Element.
Conduit
A lightweight Matrix homeserver written in Rust, shipped as a single binary with an embedded database.
Beeper
A unified chat app that brings WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, Discord and other networks into one inbox.
