ejabberd vs Session
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
ejabberd
Robust, scalable XMPP messaging server
VS
Session
Onion-routed private messenger with no phone number
| Feature | ejabberd | Session |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,711 | ★ 546 |
| First released | 2002 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram |
Why pick each one
Choose Session if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Session better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community, while Session is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ejabberd and Session free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Session under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Session with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Session: check the project docs for container support.