ejabberd vs Tigase XMPP Server
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
Tigase XMPP Server
Highly scalable XMPP/Jabber messaging server
| Feature | ejabberd | Tigase XMPP Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 78 · Good |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,732 | ★ 359 |
| First released | 2002 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, WhatsApp |
What are ejabberd and Tigase XMPP Server?
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
Tigase XMPP Server
Tigase XMPP Server is a Java-based, highly scalable and extensible XMPP server. It is designed for clustering and high availability, supporting millions of concurrent connections.
- Built for massive scale and clustering
- Modular plugin architecture
- Supports many XEP extensions
- High availability
ejabberd vs Tigase XMPP Server: key differences
Ejabberd is written in Erlang, while Tigase XMPP Server is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ejabberd versus AGPL-3.0 for Tigase XMPP Server. Ejabberd is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Tigase XMPP Server. Ejabberd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Tigase XMPP Server arrived in 2004. Ejabberd has the considerably larger community, at 6,732 GitHub stars versus 359.
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 Tigase XMPP Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Java
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Heavier resource needs
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Tigase XMPP Server 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 Tigase XMPP Server free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tigase XMPP Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Tigase XMPP Server with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Tigase XMPP Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ejabberd or Tigase XMPP Server?
ejabberd has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Tigase XMPP Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.