ejabberd vs qTox
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
qTox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging and calls over Tox
| Feature | ejabberd | qTox |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Erlang | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,711 | ★ 4,977 |
| First released | 2002 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Skype, WhatsApp |
Why pick each one
Choose qTox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (5k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or qTox better?
Neither is universally better. ejabberd has the larger community, while qTox is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are ejabberd and qTox free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and qTox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and qTox with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. qTox: check the project docs for container support.