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Synapse vs Tuwunel: catalog facts
Synapse	Tuwunel
Free Free under the AGPL; Element sells commercial licenses, support subscriptions and ESS Pro.	Free Free and open source under the Apache 2.0 license.
Self-hosted	Linux, Self-hosted
Reference Matrix homeserver maintained by Element Works with any Matrix client	Lightweight Rust alternative to Synapse Works with existing Matrix clients, bridges and bots
Running a homeserver takes server administration work No support from Element without a paid subscription	Some niche parts of the Matrix specification are not implemented Running a homeserver requires a server and domain setup
Self-hosted	Downloadable app, Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License: AGPL-3.0	License: Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.