Element Call vs Openfire Pade Plugin
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Element Call | Openfire Pade Plugin |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 999 | ★ 60 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Zoom, Google Meet | Zoom, Slack |
What are Element Call and Openfire Pade Plugin?
Element Call
Element Call is an end-to-end encrypted video and audio calling app built on the Matrix protocol. It targets users wanting private, federated group calls. It is deployed via Docker alongside a Matrix homeserver.
- End-to-end encrypted calls
- Built on Matrix
- Group video and audio
- Browser-based
Openfire Pade Plugin
Pade is a plugin for the Openfire XMPP server that adds web meetings, video conferencing, and a Converse-based chat client through a unified browser interface. It bundles real-time collaboration into one server.
- Web meetings for Openfire
- Video conferencing
- Integrated chat client
- Single-server deployment
Element Call vs Openfire Pade Plugin: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Openfire Pade Plugin's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Element Call is actively maintained. Element Call is written in TypeScript, while Openfire Pade Plugin is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Element Call versus Apache-2.0 for Openfire Pade Plugin. Openfire Pade Plugin is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Element Call. Openfire Pade Plugin is the more established project (first released 2017), while Element Call arrived in 2022. Element Call has the considerably larger community, at 999 GitHub stars versus 60. Element Call lists first-class Docker deployment; Openfire Pade Plugin does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Element Call if…
- Strong encryption
- Federated via Matrix
- No app install needed
Watch out for
- Needs a Matrix backend
- Setup is involved
Choose Openfire Pade Plugin if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Written in JavaScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Element Call or Openfire Pade Plugin better?
Neither is universally better. Element Call has the larger community, while Openfire Pade Plugin is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Element Call and Openfire Pade Plugin free and open-source?
Yes. Element Call is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Openfire Pade Plugin under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Element Call and Openfire Pade Plugin with Docker?
Element Call: yes. Openfire Pade Plugin: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Element Call or Openfire Pade Plugin?
Openfire Pade Plugin has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Element Call. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.