ejabberd vs Rocket.Chat (2026): which should you pick?

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 Rocket.Chat if

• Fits if your organization must host its own chat on its own servers
• Works for teams of up to 50 with someone who can run a server

Look elsewhere if

• Skip it if you've nobody to install and maintain a server, since the free options are self-managed
• Not for you if you need a price before you talk to sales, as none is published
• Tight if you're past 50 users and hoped to stay on Starter, which stops there and can't run air-gapped
• Watch out: Starter has community support only, and the free Community edition caps 100 concurrent users and isn't meant for production
• Too light for teams that want calls built in, as Rocket.Chat routes them through Pexip, Jitsi, Meet or Zoom

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.

Rocket.Chat

• Paid plan prices are not published; Commercial, Government and Defense are quoted by sales.
• Starter stops at 50 users, cannot be deployed air-gapped and has community support only, with no option to buy support.
• The Community edition has core messaging only and 100 concurrent users, and the vendor says it is not suited to business-critical production use.
• The free options are self-managed, so the team installs and maintains the server; Rocket.Chat-run hosting comes with paid plans.

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.

Rocket.Chat

Channels, direct messages and threads

Channels, groups, direct messages and threaded discussions with multimedia and file sharing, searchable message history, read receipts and an interface in 64 languages.

Deployment on your own terms

Workspaces run on-premises, in a private or sovereign cloud, or on Rocket.Chat's dedicated hosting. Air-gapped deployment is available on paid plans only.

Identity and access controls

Active Directory and LDAP authentication, single sign-on, multi-factor authentication and role-based access control are included from the free Starter plan.

Encryption and data policies

End-to-end encryption can be switched on for messages and files, alongside data retention policies, data loss prevention and content moderation.

Video through integrations

Calls connect through Pexip, Jitsi, BigBlueButton, Google Meet or Zoom on Starter. The Community edition supports Jitsi and BigBlueButton only.

Federation, apps and API

Matrix protocol federation links separate organizations in shared channels, and the Marketplace, Apps Engine and open API cover custom apps and integrations.

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.

Rocket.Chat

• Starter$0

  Self-managed workspace for up to 50 users with SSO, LDAP, multi-factor authentication, end-to-end encryption and community-only support.

• Community$0

  Open-source (MIT) edition with core messaging only, up to 100 concurrent users and push notifications capped at 10,000 a month.

• CommercialCustom

  For commercial enterprises: on-premises, private cloud or dedicated cloud hosting, high availability and regulatory compliance features.

• GovernmentCustom

  For public sector agencies: on-premises or sovereign cloud deployment, tamper-evident audit logs, retention policies and Matrix federation.

• DefenseCustom

  For defense and intelligence: air-gapped deployment, DoD ATO up to IL6, FIPS 140-3 validated cryptography and clearance-based access control.