ejabberd vs MongooseIM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
ejabberd
Robust, scalable XMPP messaging server
VS
MongooseIM
Scalable, robust XMPP messaging platform
| Feature | ejabberd | MongooseIM |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 85 · Excellent |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Erlang |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 1,760 |
| First released | 2002 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are ejabberd and MongooseIM?
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
MongooseIM
MongooseIM is an enterprise-grade XMPP server written in Erlang, designed for high scalability and reliability. It supports clustering, REST APIs, and modern messaging extensions.
- Built for massive scale
- Clustering and high availability
- GraphQL and REST admin APIs
- Modern XEP support
ejabberd vs MongooseIM: key differences
Both projects are written in Erlang. Ejabberd is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Ejabberd is the more established project (first released 2002), while MongooseIM arrived in 2012. Ejabberd has the considerably larger community, at 6,732 GitHub stars versus 1,760.
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 MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.8k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Watch out for
- Complex deployment
- Requires Erlang knowledge to extend
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or MongooseIM 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 MongooseIM free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and MongooseIM under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and MongooseIM with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. MongooseIM: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or MongooseIM?
ejabberd has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for MongooseIM. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.