ejabberd vs Monocles Chat
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
Monocles Chat
Privacy-focused XMPP messenger for Android
| Feature | ejabberd | Monocles Chat |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 100 |
| First released | 2002 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | WhatsApp, Signal |
What are ejabberd and Monocles Chat?
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
Monocles Chat
Monocles Chat is an Android XMPP messaging client forked from Conversations with an extended feature set and theming options. It supports OMEMO encryption, group chats, and audio and video calls.
- Android XMPP client
- OMEMO encryption
- Audio and video calls
- Extensive theming
ejabberd vs Monocles Chat: key differences
Ejabberd is written in Erlang, while Monocles Chat is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ejabberd versus GPL-3.0 for Monocles Chat. Monocles Chat is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for ejabberd. Ejabberd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Monocles Chat arrived in 2021. Ejabberd has the considerably larger community, at 6,732 GitHub stars versus 100. Ejabberd lists first-class Docker deployment; Monocles Chat 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 Monocles Chat if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Monocles Chat better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community, while Monocles Chat is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ejabberd and Monocles Chat free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Monocles Chat under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Monocles Chat with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Monocles Chat: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or Monocles Chat?
Monocles Chat has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for ejabberd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.