ejabberd vs Matrix (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Matrix grades higher than ejabberd: 3.0 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Matrix grades higher on value for money, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
ejabberd
Erlang messaging server for XMPP, MQTT, SIP and Matrix
Which one is for you
Pick ejabberd if
- Fits if you run a large messaging service and know Erlang or XMPP
- Works for companies that want to start free and add paid support later
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a chat app, as it is a server and users need a separate client
- Pricey if you want managed hosting, at €200 a month and rising with traffic
- Pricey if you want Business Edition, at €16,000 a year for a 2-node cluster
- Watch out: TURN, ICE and push for iOS and Android are not in the Community Server
- Skip it if you need paid support on the free edition, since it is community forums only
Pick Matrix if
- Fits if you want chat that no single company controls
- Works for communities that want to run their own server
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want one app that behaves the same everywhere, since features depend on the client
- Tight if you share big files on the free homeserver, as attachments stop at 10MB
- Watch out: the matrix.org server is crowded and has usage limits
- Watch out: running your own homeserver, or paying a host, is a separate cost and effort the Foundation does not endorse
- Watch out: Element X is mobile only and Nheko is desktop only
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAejabberdFair | 3.0GPAMatrixVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CThe Community Server is free to self-host. Managed Fluux starts at €200 a month and Business at €16,000 a year, so the paid side is steep. | AThe protocol and its clients are free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver. Free software anyone can use counts as free and substantial. |
| Free plan and trial | BThe Community Server is free under GPLv2 with no user cap, but you host it and some features are paid. | BThe free homeserver allows 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, 500MB per 28 days. Most people get by, but heavy sharers hit it. |
| Features | CFour protocols, clustering and a REST API. TURN, ICE and mobile push are not in the free edition. | CFederation, a choice of clients, spaces, threads and bridges to Slack and Discord. Calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you pick, which is a gap. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. It is server software, set up and run by an administrator. | CNo store rating on record. You pick a homeserver and a client before you start, so there is some learning. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns on Windows, Mac and Linux servers, with some integrations. It is a server, so users need a separate app. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android clients exist, with bridges to Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and Mattermost. Which platform a given client covers differs. |
| Best for | a large-scale XMPP, MQTT and SIP server | open, federated chat you can host yourself |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: ejabberd and Matrix. How we grade
Price against what you get
ejabberd starts at about $223.44 a month and scores 1.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Matrix has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Matrix scores higher and starts $223.44 a month lower. Of the other team communication apps on the chart, 60 score higher than ejabberd for less, and none scores higher than Matrix for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Matrix is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
At a glance
| ejabberd | Matrix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | €200 per month (Fluux managed cloud) | Free |
| Free plan | The Community Server is free and open source under GPLv2, self-hosted. | The protocol is free to use, and the Foundation runs a free public matrix.org homeserver with usage limits on attachments and data. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | ProcessOne | The Matrix.org Foundation |
| Price read from | process-one.net | matrix.org |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
ejabberd
- It is a server, not a chat app: users need a separate XMPP client, and you run it yourself unless you pay for Fluux.
- Fluux is priced in euros and by traffic (Jabs) rather than per user; the first step is €200 a month, and the Growing and Established networks start at €1,400 and €6,000 a month.
- The Business Edition price of €16,000 a year is for a 2-node cluster, and its TURN/ICE relay and push features are not in the Community Server.
- Support on the Community Server is community forums and documentation only.
Matrix
- Matrix is a protocol, not one app: features such as calls, threads and encryption depend on the client you choose.
- The public matrix.org homeserver is crowded and has usage limits; the Foundation says premium plan pricing is not yet published.
- Running your own homeserver, or paying a hosting provider, is a separate cost and effort that the Foundation does not endorse or guarantee.
- The platforms listed are those of the featured clients, which differ: Element X is mobile only, while Nheko is desktop only.
Key features
ejabberd
- Four protocols in one server
- XMPP, an MQTT broker, a SIP service and Matrix bridging run in the same process.
- Clustering
- The Community Server has standard active-active clustering; the Business Edition and Fluux add consistent-hash clustering.
- Mobile and web support
- Push notifications, message archive management, multi-device sync, WebSocket and BOSH are built into the server.
- REST API and CLI
- A REST API and the ejabberdctl command line cover user and room management.
- Database backends
- The site lists PostgreSQL, MySQL, LDAP and ODBC backends.
- Business and managed options
- Long-term support releases, FIPS compliance and direct engineer support come with the Business Edition, and Fluux runs it as a managed service.
Matrix
- Federation between servers
- Accounts look like @username:example.com, and people on different providers can message each other, much as email works across providers.
- Choice of client
- Matrix is only the standard; you chat through a client. The clients page lists Element, Element X, FluffyChat, Cinny and Nheko across web, desktop and mobile.
- Encryption in clients that support it
- End-to-end encryption is listed as a capability of the featured clients, including for media and calls where a client supports them.
- Spaces and threads
- Clients can browse and manage Matrix spaces to group rooms for a community, and most featured clients support threaded replies.
- Bridges to other networks
- Bridges connect Matrix rooms to platforms including Discord, Slack, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Mattermost and Google Chat.
- Self-hosting or hosted providers
- Anyone can run their own homeserver, or pick from the hosting providers the Foundation lists, so an organization keeps control of its data.
Plans
ejabberd
Community Server$0
Open source under GPLv2; you host it yourself. Supports XMPP, MQTT, SIP and Matrix, with community forums and documentation.
Fluux Emerging€200
per month, managed cloud, 1 node on shared servers
Managed by ProcessOne, with a shared-server domain and standard support. Price rises with traffic measured in Jabs: 9,000,000 Jabs at €200, 45,000,000 at €500.
Business Edition€16,000
per year for a 2-node cluster
Commercial license with long-term support releases, push for iOS, Android and Firebase, and direct support from ProcessOne. Sold through sales.
Matrix
Free$0
Matrix.org homeserver account: 10MB per attachment and 100MB of uploads per 24 hours, up to 500MB per 28 days.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, ejabberd or Matrix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Matrix is cheaper to start with: it is free, against about $223.44 a month for ejabberd. ejabberd starts at €200 per month (Fluux managed cloud), and Matrix is free.
Which has a free plan, ejabberd or Matrix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both ejabberd and Matrix have a free plan.
Which platforms do ejabberd and Matrix run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Matrix lists a web app and iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.