Element
Element 1.12.34 RC pops calls into picture-in-picture and lets modules shut off public rooms.
Comparison · Comms
Apprise vs Stoat
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Apprise and Stoat — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Apprise vs Stoat: at a glance
What is Apprise?
Apprise 2 is out: notify() returns a result object, and 2.1 takes the catalog to 170 services.
Apprise, the Python notification library, shipped v2.0.0 on 26 September after closing out the v1 line. notify() now returns an AppriseResult with per-service status, including new PARTIAL and TIMEOUT states, and v2 adds template variables for secrets, tag priorities with escalation, retries, timeouts and multiple body formats per service. v2.0.1 fixed markdown handling and v2.1.0 added 12 services, for 170 in total.
What is Stoat?
Stoat moves to release candidates and Gerrit, and gives server admins more control.
Stoat's 0.16.0 release candidates add server controls: invites with expiry and use limits, permission to block external emojis, and bot roles that grant permissions when a bot joins. The team is also piloting Gerrit as its main source control and will now ship release candidates and backports.
Apprise vs Stoat: editorial side-by-side
Apprise
5.0COMMS
Apprise 2 is out: notify() returns a result object, and 2.1 takes the catalog to 170 services.
◆ Current state
Apprise, the Python notification library, shipped v2.0.0 on 26 September after closing out the v1 line. notify() now returns an AppriseResult with per-service status, including new PARTIAL and TIMEOUT states, and v2 adds template variables for secrets, tag priorities with escalation, retries, timeouts and multiple body formats per service. v2.0.1 fixed markdown handling and v2.1.0 added 12 services, for 170 in total.
◆ Where it's heading
The v2 break was about making delivery observable and controllable, building on the weighted tags of v1.11. Since then the project is back to its usual rhythm of community service additions and fixes, with v1 maintained on a separate branch.
◆ Prediction
Expect v2.x releases of the same shape, new services plus fixes, with more v2-era adoption fixes for embedders moving off v1.
Stoat
5.0COMMS
Stoat moves to release candidates and Gerrit, and gives server admins more control.
◆ Current state
Stoat's 0.16.0 release candidates add server controls: invites with expiry and use limits, permission to block external emojis, and bot roles that grant permissions when a bot joins. The team is also piloting Gerrit as its main source control and will now ship release candidates and backports.
◆ Where it's heading
The feature list is about moderation and bot management for server owners, and rc.1 adds OpenTelemetry tracing for the file service. The process change toward RCs and backports suggests the team wants steadier releases for self-hosters.
◆ Prediction
A final 0.16.0 should follow the two RCs; the entries do not say when.
Alternatives to Apprise and Stoat
Other Comms products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Apprise or Stoat.
Synapse
Synapse 1.164 advertises Matrix v1.16 and v1.17 amid a run of dependency security patches
Subsplash
Subsplash gives church staff notes on every person and every Workflow card.
Maddy
maddy's latest release is a security fix, five months after its last feature work.
Grain
Grain adds consent controls and rule-based privacy as its meeting data reaches more AI tools.
Converse.js
Converse.js 14.0.1 fixes OMEMO:2 group decryption broken by Chromium 153.
See all Apprise alternatives → · See all Stoat alternatives →
Recent activity from Apprise and Stoat
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 10d agoAppriseApprise 2.1.0 adds 12 notification services
- 21d agoStoatStoat 0.16 RC1 adds OpenTelemetry tracing
- 21d agoStoatStoat 0.16 RC adds invite limits and bot roles
- 1mo agoApprisev2.0.1: markdown handling fixes after v2.0.0
- 1mo agoAppriseApprise 2.0: notify() returns per-service results
- 2mo agoAppriseFinal v1.x patch: attachment fix and two more services
- 2mo agoAppriseLast release of the v1.x line — pin before v2 breaks ⚡
- 4mo agoApprisePast 150 services, with HTML-to-Markdown conversion built in
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Apprise and Stoat?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Apprise and Stoat are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Apprise better than Stoat?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Apprise and Stoat are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Comms products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Apprise?
Top Apprise alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Apprise alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/apprise for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Stoat?
Top Stoat alternatives in Comms are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Stoat alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/stoat for the full list with editorial commentary on each.