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ejabberd vs Openfire (2026): which should you pick?

As of Nov 13, 2026, Openfire grades higher than ejabberd: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.

Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA

Openfire grades higher on the free plan. They get the same grade on value for money, features, ease of use and platforms.

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

Free plan · from €200/mo
Full detailsprocess-one.net

Openfire

Open-source XMPP chat server you run on your own hardware

Free
Full detailsigniterealtime.org

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 Openfire if

  • Fits if you want to run your own chat server and control the data
  • Works for sysadmins already comfortable with Java and XMPP

Look elsewhere if

  • Not for you if you do not want to maintain a server, since there is no hosted version
  • Watch out: from version 4.7.0 on, no Java runtime is bundled
  • Skip it if you need paid support, as only the community forum and issue tracker are listed
  • Watch out: the Spark desktop client was last updated in March 2023
  • Too light for end users on its own, since they need a separate chat client

How we grade them

2.0GPAejabberdFair2.2GPAOpenfireFair
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.
CFree under the Apache License, but only useful if you host it, which needs a server.
Free plan and trial
BThe Community Server is free under GPLv2 with no user cap, but you host it and some features are paid.
AFree outright, with no paid edition and no cap.
Features
CFour protocols, clustering and a REST API. TURN, ICE and mobile push are not in the free edition.
CXMPP server, plugins and admin console. The matching Spark desktop client was last updated in March 2023.
Ease of use
DNo rating on record. It is server software, set up and run by an administrator.
DNo rating on record. You install a server, supply a Java runtime and maintain it.
Platforms and integrations
CRuns on Windows, Mac and Linux servers, with some integrations. It is a server, so users need a separate app.
CRuns on Windows, Mac and Linux servers, with plugins. Clients are separate, and no hosted version exists.
Best fora large-scale XMPP, MQTT and SIP serveryour own XMPP chat server

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 Openfire. 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. Openfire has no paid plan and scores 1.7.

They score the same, and Openfire 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 Openfire for less.

Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged

D1.0C2.0B3.0A4.0Free$1$2$5$10$20$50$100$200$500More for lessCosts more, scores moreCosts less, scores lessCosts more, scores lessejabberdOpenfire

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
The full chart of team communication apps, and the best at every price

Where they differ

    In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostablePublic APITeam chat

    At a glance

    ejabberdOpenfire
    PricingFree planFree
    Starts at€200 per month (Fluux managed cloud)Free
    Free planThe Community Server is free and open source under GPLv2, self-hosted.Free to download and run under the Apache License; no paid edition is listed.
    Free trialNone listedNone listed
    macOS
    Windows
    Linux
    Made byProcessOneIgnite Realtime
    Price read fromprocess-one.netigniterealtime.org
    CheckedNov 13, 2026Nov 13, 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.

    Openfire

    • It is server software: you install and maintain it yourself. Releases from 4.7.0 on no longer bundle a Java runtime, so you install one separately.
    • Installers are listed for Windows, macOS (dmg), Debian and RPM packages, and a Unix tarball. No hosted version is offered on the pages read.
    • The Spark desktop client download listed was last updated in March 2023.
    • Support comes from the community through the project's forums and issue tracker; the pages read list no paid support.

    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.

    Openfire

    XMPP server
    Built on XMPP, which the project describes as the widely adopted open protocol for instant messaging.
    Plugins
    An archive of plugins extends the server, for example one that deploys the third-party Converse web client.
    Admin console
    The server is administered through a console, and plugins can be installed from it.
    Recent XMPP security work
    Project posts describe SASL2, Bind2 and FAST connection extensions and SCRAM-SHA-512-PLUS support.
    Own desktop client
    The same project publishes Spark, a cross-platform desktop chat client for organizations.

    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.

    Openfire

    • Open source$0

      Self-hosted server under the Apache License. You supply the machine and a Java runtime.

    Common questions

    Which is cheaper, ejabberd or Openfire?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, Openfire 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 Openfire is free.

    Which has a free plan, ejabberd or Openfire?

    As of Nov 13, 2026, both ejabberd and Openfire have a free plan.

    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.
    How we review and grade