ejabberd vs Zulip
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
Zulip
Threaded team chat that combines email and chat
| Feature | ejabberd | Zulip |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Team Chat |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,711 | ★ 25,619 |
| First released | 2002 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose Zulip if…
- Excellent conversation organization
- Strong async workflow
- Fully open source
Frequently asked questions
Is ejabberd or Zulip better?
Zulip is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider ejabberd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ejabberd and Zulip free and open-source?
Yes. ejabberd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Zulip under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ejabberd and Zulip with Docker?
ejabberd: yes. Zulip: yes.