ejabberd

An Erlang messaging server from ProcessOne that combines an XMPP server, an MQTT broker and a SIP service, built to scale to large deployments.

6.7k stars, 1.6k forks Erlang On GitHub since February 2010

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

What is ejabberd?

ejabberd is a real-time platform written in Erlang/OTP. At its core is an XMPP server, so any standard Jabber client can connect for one-to-one and group chat, and servers can federate with each other. The same process can also act as an MQTT broker for IoT devices and provide a SIP service. It is configured through ejabberd.yml and managed with the ejabberdctl command. Installers, OS packages, Homebrew and container images for x64 and arm64 are offered, and translations are maintained on Weblate.

Good fit if

  • You need a standards-based chat backend for an app, a company or a large user base.
  • You want XMPP and MQTT messaging handled by one server.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a ready team chat with a polished web client: Zulip or Mattermost.
  • You prefer the Matrix protocol: Synapse.

Before you adopt it

ejabberd is GPL-2.0, contains no paid parts, and asks contributors to sign a CLA. ProcessOne maintains it with about ten recent contributors. Expect to learn its configuration and pick a client app separately, since this is a server.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

ejabberd health: is it still maintained?

80 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    162 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 3 November 2026.
    27 / 30
  • Contributors
    11 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 32% of them.
    14 / 20
  • Releases
    6 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 26.09, on 30 September 2026.
    17 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 67% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 21 hours.
    17 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4.5 of 10.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 4 November 2026. How the score works

ejabberd license: is it open source?

ejabberd uses GPL-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI. Contributors sign a contributor license agreement, which lets the owner relicense their work later.

  1. February 2010First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-2.0. A contributor license agreement is required.

How to run ejabberd yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: process-one.net or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to ejabberd

  • TinodeInstant messaging platform. Backend in Go. Clients: Swift iOS, Java Android, JS webapp, scriptable command… 59 health · GPL-3.0 · 13.5k stars
  • SimpleX ChatSimpleX - the first messaging network operating without user identifiers of any kind - 100% private by… 65 health · AGPL-3.0 · 19.6k stars
  • MumbleMumble is an open-source, low-latency, high quality voice chat software. 82 health · BSD · 8.4k stars
  • ZulipZulip server and web application. Open-source team chat that helps teams stay productive and focused. 93 health · Apache-2.0 · 26.2k stars
  • ElementA glossy Matrix collaboration client for the web. 89 health · AGPL-3.0 · 13.6k stars

All 12 projects in Team chat

Questions about ejabberd

Is ejabberd open source?

Yes. ejabberd is published under GPL-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is ejabberd still maintained?

Its health score is 80 of 100 (actively developed). It had 162 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 3 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 30 September 2026.

How do I run ejabberd?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to ejabberd?

Close alternatives in the Team chat category include Tinode, SimpleX Chat, Mumble.