MongooseIM vs Openfire
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted matrix & xmpp options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
MongooseIM
Scalable, robust XMPP messaging platform
VS
Openfire
Real-time collaboration XMPP server written in Java
| Feature | MongooseIM | Openfire |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Erlang | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,748 | ★ 3,052 |
| First released | 2012 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack, WhatsApp | Slack, Microsoft Teams |
Why pick each one
Choose MongooseIM if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in Erlang
Frequently asked questions
Is MongooseIM or Openfire better?
Openfire is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider MongooseIM if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are MongooseIM and Openfire free and open-source?
Yes. MongooseIM is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Openfire under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run MongooseIM and Openfire with Docker?
MongooseIM: yes. Openfire: yes.