MongooseIM
Mobile messaging platform with a focus on performance and scalability.
MongooseIM 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
| MongooseIM | Openfire | |
|---|---|---|
| Description | Mobile messaging platform with a focus on performance and scalability. | Real time collaboration (RTC) server. |
| GitHub stars | 1,759 | 3,074 |
| Forks | – | – |
| Open issues | – | – |
| Commits (12 months) | 934 | 1k |
| Last activity | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-03 |
| Latest release | 6.10.0 (2026-10-15) | v5.1.2 (2026-08-17) |
| Maintenance health | Active | Active |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language / platform | Erlang, Docker, K8S | 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
- Openfire is more popular on GitHub: 3.1k stars vs 1.8k for MongooseIM.
- MongooseIM published a release more recently (6.10.0 on 2026-10-15; Openfire's latest is v5.1.2 on 2026-08-17).
- MongooseIM is licensed under GPL-2.0, Openfire under Apache-2.0. Openfire's license is permissive; MongooseIM's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
- MongooseIM is written in Erlang; Openfire in Java.
- Deployment options listed upstream: MongooseIM: Docker, K8S; Openfire: none listed.
- Our rough hardware estimate is lighter for MongooseIM (~1 GB server) than Openfire (~2 GB); this is an estimate from the stack and category, not a benchmark.
Summary: Openfire leads on GitHub popularity. 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 MongooseIM or Openfire more popular?
Openfire has more GitHub stars (3,074 vs 1,759 for MongooseIM, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.
Which is more actively maintained, MongooseIM or Openfire?
Commits in the last 12 months: MongooseIM 934, Openfire 1,021. The last recorded activity was 2026-11-02 for MongooseIM and 2026-11-03 for Openfire. Our health labels: MongooseIM is “Active”, Openfire is “Active”.
What licenses do MongooseIM and Openfire use?
MongooseIM: GPL-2.0. Openfire: Apache-2.0. Openfire's license is permissive; MongooseIM's is copyleft (changes you distribute must stay open).
Can I run MongooseIM 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 MongooseIM. Check each project's documentation for install options.
Read more
Openfire
Real time collaboration (RTC) server.
Browse all self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps.