ejabberd
XMPP instant messaging server.
ejabberd vs Openfire
Two self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.
Side by side
| ejabberd | Openfire | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | XMPP instant messaging server. | Real time collaboration (RTC) server. |
| GitHub stars | 6,749 | 3,074 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 612 | 1k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Latest release | 26.09 (2026-09-30) | v5.1.2 (2026-08-17) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language / platform | Erlang, Docker | Java |
| Docker Hub image | – | – |
| Docker pulls | – | – |
| Est. server size | ~1 GB, 1 vCPU | ~2 GB, 1 vCPU |
| Est. hosting from | $5/mo | $10/mo |
| Categories | Communication - XMPP - Servers | Communication - XMPP - Servers |
| Links | Website · Source | Website · Source |
What the numbers say
- ejabberd is more popular on GitHub: 6.7k stars vs 3.1k for Openfire.
- Openfire had more commits in the last 12 months (1,021 vs 612).
- ejabberd published a release more recently (26.09 on 2026-09-30; Openfire's latest is v5.1.2 on 2026-08-17).
- ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0, Openfire under Apache-2.0. Openfire's license is permissive; ejabberd's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- ejabberd is written in Erlang; Openfire in Java.
- Deployment options listed upstream: ejabberd: Docker; Openfire: none listed.
- Our rough hardware estimate is lighter for ejabberd (~1 GB server) than Openfire (~2 GB); this is an estimate from the stack and category, not a benchmark.
Summary: ejabberd leads on GitHub popularity; Openfire leads on commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.
This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Openfire more popular?
ejabberd has more GitHub stars (6,749 vs 3,074 for Openfire, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, ejabberd or Openfire?
Openfire had more commits over the last 12 months (1,021 vs 612). The last recorded activity was 2026-11-04 for ejabberd and 2026-11-03 for Openfire. Our health labels: ejabberd is “Active”, Openfire is “Active”.
What licenses do ejabberd and Openfire use?
ejabberd: GPL-2.0. Openfire: Apache-2.0. Openfire's license is permissive; ejabberd's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run ejabberd and Openfire with Docker?
We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for ejabberd. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Openfire
Real time collaboration (RTC) server.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps.