Cinny vs Rocket.Chat (2026): which should you pick?

Pick Cinny if

• Fits if you already have a Matrix account and want a lighter client
• Works for people who want Matrix in a browser or on a desktop

Look elsewhere if

• Not for you if you have no Matrix server, as you need an account on one
• Skip it if you want a phone app, as none is listed
• Watch out: server limits and features come from your Matrix server
• Watch out: some Matrix features may be missing, as the site says more are still to come

Pick Rocket.Chat if

• Fits if your organization must host its own chat on its own servers
• Works for teams of up to 50 with someone who can run a server

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you've nobody to install and maintain a server, since the free options are self-managed
• Not for you if you need a price before you talk to sales, as none is published
• Tight if you're past 50 users and hoped to stay on Starter, which stops there and can't run air-gapped
• Watch out: Starter has community support only, and the free Community edition caps 100 concurrent users and isn't meant for production
• Too light for teams that want calls built in, as Rocket.Chat routes them through Pexip, Jitsi, Meet or Zoom

Cinny

• Cinny is a client only; you need an account on a Matrix homeserver, and server limits and features come from that server.
• The project's GitHub page lists desktop installers but no iOS or Android app.
• The source is under the AGPL-3.0 license, and a Dockerfile is in the repository for hosting it yourself.
• The site says more features are still to come, so some Matrix features may be missing.

Rocket.Chat

• Paid plan prices are not published; Commercial, Government and Defense are quoted by sales.
• Starter stops at 50 users, cannot be deployed air-gapped and has community support only, with no option to buy support.
• The Community edition has core messaging only and 100 concurrent users, and the vendor says it is not suited to business-critical production use.
• The free options are self-managed, so the team installs and maintains the server; Rocket.Chat-run hosting comes with paid plans.

Cinny

Matrix client

It connects to Matrix, so you sign in with an account on any Matrix server rather than a Cinny-run service.

Encrypted chat

The site says conversations are protected by end-to-end encryption.

DMs separate from channels

Direct messages are kept apart from channels to reduce clutter.

Themes

The home page shows selectable light and other themes.

Web and desktop

The web app is at app.cinny.in, and installers for macOS, Windows and Linux are on the desktop project's GitHub releases.

Rocket.Chat

Channels, direct messages and threads

Channels, groups, direct messages and threaded discussions with multimedia and file sharing, searchable message history, read receipts and an interface in 64 languages.

Deployment on your own terms

Workspaces run on-premises, in a private or sovereign cloud, or on Rocket.Chat's dedicated hosting. Air-gapped deployment is available on paid plans only.

Identity and access controls

Active Directory and LDAP authentication, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and role-based access control are included from the free Starter plan.

Encryption and data policies

End-to-end encryption can be switched on for messages and files, alongside data retention policies, data loss prevention and content moderation.

Video through integrations

Calls connect through Pexip, Jitsi, BigBlueButton, Google Meet or Zoom on Starter. The Community edition supports Jitsi and BigBlueButton only.

Federation, apps and API

Matrix protocol federation links separate organizations in shared channels, and the Marketplace, Apps Engine and open API cover custom apps and integrations.

Cinny

• Free$0

  The full client, with optional donations through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors or Liberapay.

Rocket.Chat

• Starter$0

  Self-managed workspace for up to 50 users with SSO, LDAP, multi-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption and community-only support.

• Community$0

  Open-source (MIT) edition with core messaging only, up to 100 concurrent users and push notifications capped at 10,000 a month.

• CommercialCustom

  For commercial enterprises: on-premises, private cloud or dedicated cloud hosting, high availability and regulatory compliance features.

• GovernmentCustom

  For public sector agencies: on-premises or sovereign cloud deployment, tamper-evident audit logs, retention policies and Matrix federation.

• DefenseCustom

  For defense and intelligence: air-gapped deployment, DoD ATO up to IL6, FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography and clearance-based access control.