Openfire vs Rocket.Chat (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Rocket.Chat grades higher than Openfire: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Openfire grades higher on the free plan. Rocket.Chat grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Rocket.Chat
Open-source, self-managed chat for security-focused teams
Free plan
Which one is for you
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
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
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAOpenfireFair | 2.4GPARocket.ChatFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CFree under the Apache License, but only useful if you host it, which needs a server. | CNo price is published: Commercial, Government and Defense are all quoted by sales, so there's nothing to set against the $7 a month this category typically starts at. What you can price is the free end, and that's $0 for up to 50 self-managed users. |
| Free plan and trial | AFree outright, with no paid edition and no cap. | BStarter costs nothing for 50 self-managed users with single sign-on, LDAP, multi-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption. The lines are drawn too, though. Support is community-only with no option to buy it, and air-gapped deployment needs a paid plan. |
| Features | CXMPP server, plugins and admin console. The matching Spark desktop client was last updated in March 2023. | CChannels, groups, direct messages and threads with searchable history in 64 languages, access controls, retention policies and Matrix federation. The hole is calls: Rocket.Chat hosts none itself, routing them through Pexip, Jitsi, BigBlueButton, Meet or Zoom, and Community handles only the first two. |
| Ease of use | DNo rating on record. You install a server, supply a Java runtime and maintain it. | DNo rating on record, and both free routes are self-managed, so your team installs the server and keeps it running. Rocket.Chat-run hosting only arrives with a paid plan, which means a conversation with sales first. |
| Platforms and integrations | CRuns on Windows, Mac and Linux servers, with plugins. Clients are separate, and no hosted version exists. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android. There's an open API, a Marketplace and the Apps Engine for building your own, ready-made links to Jitsi, Pexip, BigBlueButton, Google Meet and Zoom, and Matrix federation to share channels with other organizations. |
| Best for | your own XMPP chat server | chat that never leaves your own servers |
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: Openfire and Rocket.Chat. How we grade
Where they differ
- Rocket.Chat is end-to-end encrypted, according to its own site.
- Rocket.Chat also covers file sharing.
In commonFree planWindowsmacOSLinuxOpen sourceSelf-hostablePublic APITeam chat
At a glance
| Openfire | Rocket.Chat | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | Free to download and run under the Apache License; no paid edition is listed. | Starter: a free self-managed workspace for up to 50 users with single sign-on, end-to-end encryption and community support. The MIT-licensed Community edition is also free. |
| Free trial | None listed | Qualifying government, defense and critical infrastructure organizations can get a free guided, hosted evaluation. |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Ignite Realtime | Rocket.Chat Technologies Corp. |
| Price read from | igniterealtime.org | rocket.chat |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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.
Key features
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.
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.
Plans
Openfire
Open source$0
Self-hosted server under the Apache License. You supply the machine and a Java runtime.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Openfire or Rocket.Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Openfire is free, and Rocket.Chat publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Openfire or Rocket.Chat?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Openfire and Rocket.Chat have a free plan.
Which platforms do Openfire and Rocket.Chat run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Rocket.Chat 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.