ejabberd vs JSXC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ejabberd | JSXC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 12 · At risk |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Erlang | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 731 |
| First released | 2002 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack |
What are ejabberd and JSXC?
ejabberd
ejabberd is a robust and scalable XMPP server powering instant messaging, presence, and real-time communication. It targets operators running large messaging deployments. It is deployed via Docker or native packages.
- Highly scalable XMPP server
- Clustering support
- Many extension modules
- MQTT and SIP support
JSXC
JSXC is a real-time XMPP chat application that runs in the browser and can be integrated into web platforms like Nextcloud and SOGo. It supports OTR and OMEMO encryption.
- Browser-based XMPP client
- OTR and OMEMO encryption
- Integrates with Nextcloud
- Audio and video via WebRTC
ejabberd vs JSXC: key differences
Ejabberd is written in Erlang, while JSXC is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ejabberd versus MIT for JSXC. JSXC is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ejabberd. Ejabberd is the more established project (first released 2002), while JSXC arrived in 2013. Ejabberd has the considerably larger community, at 6,732 GitHub stars versus 731. Ejabberd lists first-class Docker deployment; JSXC does not.
Why pick each one
Choose ejabberd if…
- Extremely scalable
- Battle-tested
- Standards-based
Watch out for
- XMPP UX depends on clients
- Advanced config is complex
Choose JSXC if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Needs an XMPP backend
- Integration-focused
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or JSXC better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community, while JSXC is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ejabberd and JSXC free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and JSXC under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and JSXC with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. JSXC: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or JSXC?
JSXC has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ejabberd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.