head to head · open source
Cinny vs Wire
Cinny has 3,897 GitHub stars, 578 forks, 354 open issues and last shipped 5 days ago. Wire has 2,549 stars, 180 forks, 173 open issues and last shipped 9 months ago. Cinny leads on adoption by 53% (3,897 vs 2,549 stars). Cinny is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0; Wire is written in various languages under GPL-3.0. Cinny has attracted 15% as many forks as stars, Wire 7%. Cinny was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Cinny | Wire | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 3.9K | ★ 2.5K |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | — |
| Last push | 2026-09-15 | 2026-01-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 578 | ⑂ 180 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Cinny if
- You weight community size — 3.9K stars and counting
- You want the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Wire if
- You want the Wire feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- You evaluated both and Wire fits your workflow better
About Cinny
Cinny is an open source Matrix client written in TypeScript under AGPL 3.0. It lives in the Matrix ecosystem and is presented as "yet another matrix client," focusing on a simple, elegant, and secure interface. Its stated goal is an instant messaging application that is easy for people and has a modern touch.
read the full Cinny overview →
About Wire
Wire is an open source secure collaboration platform whose GitHub overview repository gathers code for clients, encryption, audio/video/signaling, server components, and protocol definitions. It lives in the security and privacy ecosystem, specifically data security and privacy.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Cinny or Wire more popular?
Cinny has 3,897 GitHub stars and Wire has 2,549. Cinny has the larger community by that measure.
Are Cinny and Wire free?
Both are open source. Cinny is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Wire under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Cinny and Wire?
Cinny is written in TypeScript and Wire in various languages. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Cinny or Wire?
Choose Cinny if you want the larger community (3,897 stars) or its AGPL-3.0 licence terms. Choose Wire if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.