ejabberd vs Tinode
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ejabberd | Tinode |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 94 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 13,516 |
| First released | 2002 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Slack |
What are ejabberd and Tinode?
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
Tinode
Tinode is an open-source instant messaging server with a backend and clients designed as an alternative to closed messengers. It targets developers building chat into products. It is deployed via Docker or binaries.
- Lightweight messaging server
- Web, mobile and CLI clients
- Group and peer-to-peer chats
- Pluggable storage backends
ejabberd vs Tinode: key differences
Ejabberd is written in Erlang, while Tinode is built with Go. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ejabberd versus GPL-3.0 for Tinode. Tinode is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ejabberd. Ejabberd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Tinode arrived in 2016. Tinode has the considerably larger community, at 13,516 GitHub stars versus 6,732.
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 Tinode if…
- Good developer foundation
- Multiple clients
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- More toolkit than product
- Smaller community
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Tinode better?
Tinode is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider ejabberd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ejabberd and Tinode free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tinode under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Tinode with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Tinode: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or Tinode?
Tinode has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ejabberd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.