# Synapse (Matrix) with Element

> Synapse is the main Matrix homeserver, maintained by Element under AGPL-3.0 (or a paid commercial licence). Users chat through Element Web, desktop and mobile apps or any Matrix client; rooms federate with other servers and can be end-to-end encrypted. The free ESS Community bundle (Synapse, auth service, Element Web) is aimed at non-commercial setups up to 100 users and needs 2 CPU cores and 2 GB RAM on K3s. Larger, supported deployments are sold as ESS Pro. Runs on Linux, macOS or Docker; native Windows is not supported.

- Repository: https://github.com/element-hq/synapse
- Official docs: https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/latest/setup/installation.html
- Checked: 2026-10-15

## What it replaces
- Slack: Channels and direct messages, Threaded conversations, Voice and video huddles, Integrations, Search and message history (partial). Needs a Matrix client such as Element; workspace admin and integrations differ from Slack. Calls rely on Element Call or Jitsi; feature parity not checked.

## Facts, with sources

| Question | Status | Answer | Source | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on my machine? | Confirmed | Self-hosted homeserver (packages, Docker or ESS on Kubernetes); hosted Matrix servers also exist | https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/latest/setup/installation.html | 2026-10-15 |
| Code licence | Partial | AGPL-3.0 (or a paid Element commercial licence) | https://github.com/element-hq/synapse#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Model weights licence | Confirmed | No separate model weights | https://github.com/element-hq/synapse#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Commercial use | Partial | Allowed under AGPL-3.0 (share changes if you offer a modified server); ESS Community is pitched at non-commercial use, ESS Pro is the paid business edition | https://github.com/element-hq/synapse#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Paid services needed? | Partial | None required; Element sells support and ESS Pro | https://github.com/element-hq/synapse#readme | 2026-10-15 |
| Hardware | Confirmed | ESS Community quick setup needs 2 CPU cores and 2 GB RAM; standalone Synapse needs at least 1 GB free RAM to join large public rooms | https://github.com/element-hq/ess-helm#resource-requirements | 2026-10-15 |
| Operating systems | Confirmed | Linux (Debian/Ubuntu packages, Docker) and macOS; Windows only through WSL | https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/latest/setup/installation.html | 2026-10-15 |
| Setup effort | Confirmed | Medium; Debian packages, Docker image or ESS Helm chart, plus a domain, TLS and usually PostgreSQL | https://element-hq.github.io/synapse/latest/setup/installation.html | 2026-10-15 |

GitHub: 4700 stars, 638 forks, last push 2026-10-16, archived: no.
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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/projects/synapse). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.