ejabberd vs Nheko
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
Nheko
Desktop Matrix client with native Qt interface
| Feature | ejabberd | Nheko |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 77 · Good |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 2,496 |
| First released | 2002 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, Discord |
What are ejabberd and Nheko?
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
Nheko
Nheko is a free desktop client for the Matrix protocol built with Qt and C++. It supports end-to-end encryption, voice and video calls, and a clean native interface across Linux, Windows, and macOS.
- Native Qt interface
- End-to-end encryption
- Voice and video calls
- Low resource usage
ejabberd vs Nheko: key differences
Ejabberd is written in Erlang, while Nheko is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ejabberd versus GPL-3.0 for Nheko. Nheko 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 Nheko arrived in 2017. Ejabberd has the considerably larger community, at 6,732 GitHub stars versus 2,496. Ejabberd lists first-class Docker deployment; Nheko 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 Nheko if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Nheko better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community, while Nheko is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ejabberd and Nheko free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Nheko under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Nheko with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Nheko: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or Nheko?
Nheko 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.