MongooseIM

An XMPP messaging server from Erlang Solutions built for large, clustered deployments, with REST, WebSocket and BOSH access.

1.8k stars, 443 forks Erlang On GitHub since September 2011

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

MongooseIM at a glance

Open sourceYes, GPL-2.0No paid parts in the repository
Health68 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingFrom sourceSteps in the README
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~36 daysMedian first reply; 50% of recent issues answered

What is MongooseIM?

MongooseIM is the core of an instant messaging platform aimed at large installations. It is fault-tolerant, spreads load across clustered machines and grows by adding servers or VMs. Clients connect over standard XMPP, a REST API with Server-Sent Events, WebSockets or BOSH long polling. The platform includes server and client components, a test suite, metrics, a load testing tool and a monitoring server, and the team recommends third-party client libraries for XMPP and REST.

Good fit if

  • You are building chat into a product with many users and need a server that clusters.
  • Your team knows Erlang or wants a backend built on it.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want an XMPP server that also offers MQTT and SIP: ejabberd.
  • You need an easy server for a single company with ready installers: Openfire.

Before you adopt it

MongooseIM is GPL-2.0 and contains no paid parts; Erlang Solutions also presents it as a commercial product. A team of about five engineers commits regularly. Packages and container images are offered through the documentation, since the repository has no Docker setup of its own.

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

How to run MongooseIM yourself

Docker
No Docker files 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
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: trymongoose.im or the README on GitHub.

MongooseIM health: is it still maintained?

68 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~2 months7 releases in 12 months; latest 6.10.0
Issue repliesWithin ~36 daysMedian first reply; 50% of recent issues answered
Bus factorLow riskThe most active of 6 authors wrote 33% of recent commits
  • Activity
    205 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026.
    28 / 30
  • Contributors
    6 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 33% of them.
    11 / 20
  • Releases
    7 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, 6.10.0, on 15 October 2026.
    17 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 50% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 36 days.
    5 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 7 of 10.
    7 / 10

Read from GitHub on 6 November 2026. How the score works

MongooseIM security practices

OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

OpenSSF Scorecard7 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyYesExplains how to report a vulnerability

What each check found

  • Binary files10 / 10No compiled binaries checked into the repository
  • Code review10 / 10Changes are reviewed before merge
  • Dangerous workflows10 / 10No risky patterns in GitHub Actions
  • Fuzzing10 / 10The code is fuzz-tested
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Security policy10 / 10Explains how to report a vulnerability
  • License file9 / 10A license file is present, but not where tools look for it
  • Best-practices badge2 / 10Working towards the OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found
  • Token permissions0 / 10CI tokens have broad write rights

From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 2 November 2026. Checks that do not apply to MongooseIM are left out.

MongooseIM license: is it open source?

MongooseIM uses GPL-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. September 2011First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-2.0.

MongooseIM for developers

Written in

  • Erlang 98%
  • Shell 2%
  • JavaScript <1%
  • Python <1%
  • Makefile <1%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideYesCONTRIBUTING.mdOpen issues16On GitHub
Authors, 90 days6Of the latest 100 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to MongooseIM

  • ejabberdRobust, Ubiquitous and Massively Scalable Messaging Platform (XMPP, MQTT, SIP Server) 80 health · GPL-2.0 · 6.8k stars
  • OpenfireAn XMPP server licensed under the Open Source Apache License. 71 health · Apache-2.0 · 3.1k stars
  • Converse.jsWeb-based XMPP/Jabber chat written in JavaScript 67 health · MPL-2.0 · 3.3k stars
  • TinodeInstant messaging platform. Backend in Go. Clients: Swift iOS, Java Android, JS webapp, scriptable command… 59 health · GPL-3.0 · 13.6k stars
  • Rocket.ChatThe Secure CommsOS™ for mission-critical operations 81 health · MIT · 46.4k stars

All 20 projects in Team chat

Questions about MongooseIM

Is MongooseIM open source?

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

Is MongooseIM still maintained?

Its health score is 68 of 100 (actively developed). It had 205 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 5 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 15 October 2026.

How do I run MongooseIM?

The repository has no Docker files or app builds, so you build it from source. The README on GitHub has the steps.

What is MongooseIM written in?

MongooseIM is written mainly in Erlang (98% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to MongooseIM?

Close alternatives in the Team chat category include ejabberd, Openfire, Converse.js.