Matrix vs Tinode (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Matrix grades higher than Tinode: 3.0 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Matrix grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Tinode
Open-source instant messaging server you host or rent
Which one is for you
Pick Matrix if
- Fits if you want chat that no single company controls
- Works for communities that want to run their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one app that behaves the same everywhere, since features depend on the client
- Tight if you share big files on the free homeserver, as attachments stop at 10MB
- Watch out: the matrix.org server is crowded and has usage limits
- Watch out: running your own homeserver, or paying a host, is a separate cost and effort the Foundation does not endorse
- Watch out: Element X is mobile only and Nheko is desktop only
Pick Tinode if
- Fits if you want to own your chat server and its data
- Works for developers adding chat to their own app
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not want to run a server, as the free edition is self-hosted
- Tight if you grow, since free self-hosting stops near 500 push notifications a day
- Watch out: the stock apps' notifications will not reach your server without your own builds or the push gateway
- Watch out: Cloud is arranged through a contact form, and the site footer reads 2023
- Pricey if you want the admin tool and branded apps, which start at $50 a month
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAMatrixVery good | 2.2GPATinodeFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AThe protocol and its clients are free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial. | BCloud is $1.50 a user a month, which would count as cheap, but it is arranged through a contact form. The free edition needs your own server. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe free homeserver allows 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, 500MB per 28 days. Most people get by, but heavy sharers hit it. | CBasic is free to self-host, but capped at about 500 push notifications a day. You run the server. |
| Features | CFederation, a choice of clients, spaces, threads and bridges to Slack and Discord. Calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you pick, which is a gap. | CChat server, web and mobile clients, an extensible backend and chatbots over gRPC. Branding and the admin tool are paid. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You pick a homeserver and a client before you start, so there is some learning. | DNo rating on record. Self-hosting means installing and running a server yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android clients exist, with bridges to Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and Mattermost. Which platform a given client covers differs. | BWeb, iPhone and Android clients, with gRPC for bots. No desktop app. |
| Best for | open, federated chat you can host yourself | a chat server you host for your own app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Matrix and Tinode. How we grade
Price against what you get
Matrix has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Tinode starts at $1.50 a month for each person and scores 2.0.
Matrix scores higher and starts $1.50 a month lower. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, none scores higher than Matrix for less, and 9 score higher than Tinode for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Matrix is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| Matrix | Tinode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $1.50 per user / month (Cloud) |
| Free plan | The protocol is free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver with usage limits on attachments and data. | Basic self-hosted edition is free for small teams: no more than 500 push notifications a day, roughly 350 messages a day. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | The Matrix.org Foundation | Tinode LLC |
| Price read from | matrix.org | tinode.co |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Matrix
- Matrix is a protocol, not one app: features such as calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you choose.
- The public matrix.org homeserver is crowded and has usage limits; the Foundation says premium plan pricing is not yet published.
- Running your own homeserver, or paying a hosting provider, is a separate cost and effort that the Foundation does not endorse or guarantee.
- The platforms listed are those of the featured clients, which differ: Element X is mobile only, while Nheko is desktop only.
Tinode
- Self-hosted mobile apps need either your own builds or the push gateway, because the stock apps' notifications will not reach your server otherwise.
- Free self-hosting is for small teams; above roughly 500 push notifications a day a paid plan applies.
- Support contracts exclude third-party integrations, remote administration and support for end users.
- The site's footer reads 2023, and the Cloud plan is arranged through a contact form.
Key features
Matrix
- Federation between servers
- Accounts look like @username:example.com, and people on different providers can message each other, much as email works across providers.
- Choice of client
- Matrix is only the standard; you chat through a client. The clients page lists Element, Element X, FluffyChat, Cinny and Nheko across web, desktop and mobile.
- Encryption in clients that support it
- End-to-end encryption is listed as a capability of the featured clients, including for media and calls where a client supports them.
- Spaces and threads
- Clients can browse and manage Matrix spaces to group rooms for a community, and most featured clients support threaded replies.
- Bridges to other networks
- Bridges connect Matrix rooms to platforms including Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Mattermost and Google Chat.
- Self-hosting or hosted providers
- Anyone can run their own homeserver, or pick from the hosting providers the Foundation lists, so an organization keeps control of its data.
Tinode
- Open-source clients and server
- The server is written in Go and can run as a cluster; the site says client software is under the Apache 2.0 license.
- Self-hosting tools
- TnAdmin gives a graphical console for looking up and suspending users, a push gateway handles mobile notifications and a Grafana dashboard is available for monitoring.
- Extensible backend
- Authentication schemes, database backends, file upload, push and credential validation are pluggable adapters, and bots can connect over gRPC.
- Mobile and web clients
- Android and iOS apps are listed in the stores, and a web client runs at web.tinode.co.
- Branded apps
- Paid plans can show your own name and logo in the mobile apps and configure the server connection automatically.
- Support contracts
- Named-contact email support with prioritized bug fixes is sold per installation, with an hourly rate for out-of-scope requests.
Plans
Matrix
Free$0
Matrix.org homeserver account: 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, up to 500MB per 28 days.
Tinode
Basic$0
You install and run the server yourself. Includes the push gateway, production monitoring and community support.
Cloud$1.50
per user / month
Tinode runs it for you with 5 GB of file storage per user, custom-branded clients and gRPC access for chatbots. Arranged through the contact form.
Professional$50
per month, one self-hosted installation ($500 billed yearly)
Self-hosted. Adds the TnAdmin tool, auto-configured and custom-branded mobile apps and dedicated support. $25 a month per extra cluster node.
Enterprise$1,500
per year for a standalone installation
Everything in Professional plus assisted installation and email support; $2,500 a year for a 3-node cluster.
Ways to pay less
Matrix
No public discounts listed.
Tinode
- Annual discount
Annual billing for Professional
The self-hosting page lists $50 a month for a standalone installation, or $500 when billed annually.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Matrix or Tinode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Matrix is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $1.50 a month for each person for Tinode. Matrix is free, and Tinode starts at $1.50 per user / month (Cloud).
Which has a free plan, Matrix or Tinode?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Matrix and Tinode have a free plan.
Which platforms do Matrix and Tinode run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Matrix lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.