ejabberd vs Element Call
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ejabberd
Robust, scalable XMPP messaging server
VS
Element Call
Encrypted group video calls on Matrix
| Feature | ejabberd | Element Call |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,711 | ★ 984 |
| First released | 2002 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Zoom, Google Meet |
Why pick each one
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Element Call better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ejabberd and Element Call free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Element Call under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Element Call with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Element Call: yes.