open-source (free) with optional commercial license and support from Element, from Free
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Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2014
Headquarters
London, United Kingdom
APIOpen SourceSelf-Hosted
What Is Synapse
Synapse is the reference server implementation, known as a homeserver, for the Matrix protocol, an open standard for secure and interoperable real-time communication. Matrix originated in 2014, created by Matthew Hodgson and Amandine Le Pape inside Amdocs, and later became independent under the nonprofit Matrix.org Foundation.
Synapse is developed and maintained by Element, the company behind the Element chat client, and is the most widely deployed and feature-complete Matrix homeserver available. It is written primarily in Python using the Twisted networking framework, with increasing use of Rust for performance-critical components.
Key Features
Synapse supports single sign-on authentication, a comprehensive admin API for managing users and rooms, and a pluggable module system that lets operators extend or customize server behavior without modifying the core code.
For larger deployments, Synapse can run as horizontally scaled worker processes to distribute load across multiple machines, and it exposes structured logging and metrics so operators can monitor server health in production.
Pricing
Synapse is free and open-source. As of version 1.99, its source code is available under the AGPL license, or alternatively under a commercial license offered directly by Element for organizations that need terms incompatible with AGPL.
There is no cost to download, self-host, and run Synapse. Element separately offers paid products, such as Element Server Suite, for organizations that want a packaged, vendor-supported deployment rather than managing Synapse from source themselves.
Key Features
Reference Matrix implementation — Serves as the original, most feature-complete server implementation of the open Matrix communication protocol.
Federation support — Allows a self-hosted Synapse server to communicate with other Matrix homeservers across the decentralized network.
Single sign-on — Supports SSO authentication so organizations can integrate Synapse with existing identity providers.
Admin API — Provides a comprehensive API for managing users, rooms, and server configuration programmatically.
Pluggable modules — Lets operators extend or customize server behavior through a module system without patching core code.
Worker-based horizontal scaling — Supports splitting server load across multiple worker processes for large or high-traffic deployments.
Structured logging and metrics — Exposes operational data for monitoring server health and performance in production environments.
Dual licensing — Available under AGPL for open-source use or a commercial license from Element for organizations with different requirements.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Free, open-source, and the most mature Matrix homeserver available
Federates with the broader decentralized Matrix network
Backed by Element, an established company actively developing the protocol
Supports enterprise features like SSO and horizontal scaling
Strong ecosystem of Matrix clients, including Element, work with Synapse out of the box
Cons
Resource-intensive to self-host and scale compared to lightweight Matrix server alternatives
AGPL licensing may require a commercial license for some closed-source deployments
Requires ongoing server administration and update management
Federation and worker scaling add operational complexity for large deployments
Newer, lighter Matrix server implementations exist for smaller or simpler use cases
Yes, Synapse is free and open-source, available under the AGPL license, with an alternative commercial license option from Element.
What protocol does Synapse implement
Synapse implements the Matrix protocol, an open standard for secure, decentralized, real-time communication.
Who develops Synapse
Synapse is developed and maintained by Element, the company behind the Element chat client, in coordination with the Matrix.org Foundation.
Can Synapse federate with other Matrix servers
Yes, Synapse supports federation, allowing a self-hosted server to communicate with other Matrix homeservers across the network.
What language is Synapse written in
Synapse is written primarily in Python using the Twisted framework, with growing use of Rust for performance-critical parts.
Does Synapse support single sign-on
Yes, Synapse supports SSO authentication for integration with existing identity providers.
Is there a managed version of Synapse
Element offers Element Server Suite as a packaged, vendor-supported way to deploy Synapse and related Matrix services.
How is Synapse different from Element
Synapse is the server (homeserver) that stores and routes Matrix messages, while Element is a chat client application that connects to a Synapse or other Matrix homeserver.