Openfire review (2026): is it any good?
Open-source XMPP chat server you run on your own hardware
Openfire report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for your own XMPP chat server
Openfire is a free XMPP chat server you install and run yourself, with plugins and an admin console. It needs a separate Java runtime, there is no hosted version and the vendor offers no paid support, only a community forum.
Who Openfire is for
- Fits if you want to run your own chat server and control the data
- Works for sysadmins already comfortable with Java and XMPP
Who Openfire is not for
- 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
Why Openfire gets a 2.2
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for moneyFree under the Apache License, but only useful if you host it, which needs a server.
- AFree plan and trialFree outright, with no paid edition and no cap.
- CFeaturesXMPP server, plugins and admin console. The matching Spark desktop client was last updated in March 2023.
- DEase of useNo rating on record. You install a server, supply a Java runtime and maintain it.
- CPlatforms and integrationsRuns on Windows, Mac and Linux servers, with plugins. Clients are separate, and no hosted version exists.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Ignite Realtime's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
Make Openfire? Put this grade on your site
Paste this where you want the badge. It links here and follows the grade if it changes. About badges
<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/openfire#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/openfire.svg" alt="Openfire: 2.2 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Openfire stands among team communication apps
Openfire's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 9 of the 75 other team communication apps we grade, and level with 19.
It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 60 of 75) and worst on ease of use (D, above 1).
Openfire has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 1.7 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 76 team communication apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Openfire’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 75, level with 39
- AFree plan and trialAbove 60 of 75, level with 15
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 75, level with 61
- DEase of useAbove 1 of 75, level with 9
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 75, level with 8
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 66 team communication apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Openfire, or make your own?
Keep it
Openfire is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 47 of the 75 other team communication apps grade higher.
What you could not
- Chat that a whole team counts on staying up.
- Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other.
- It plugs into other products, Converse, Spark and Smack among them, and has an API.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: roles and permissions.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Openfire’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Openfire?
Openfire is a real-time collaboration server built on XMPP and released under the Apache License. You install it on your own machine and connect XMPP chat clients to it. It is developed by the Ignite Realtime community and has plugins and a separate Spark desktop client.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Openfire pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Openfire is free to use.
- Starts at
- Free
- Free plan
- Free to download and run under the Apache License; no paid edition is listed.
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open source | $0 | Self-hosted server under the Apache License. You supply the machine and a Java runtime. |
Read from igniterealtime.org on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Openfire before you buy.
Works with
- Converse
- Spark
- Smack
Openfire alternatives
- Openfire vs ejabberd
Free plan · from €200/mo
- Openfire vs Mattermost
Free plan
- Openfire vs Rocket.Chat
Free plan
- Openfire vs Zulip
Free plan · from $3.50/mo
Common questions
Does Openfire have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Openfire is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Does Openfire have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Openfire is listed for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Is Openfire open source?
Yes. Openfire is open source, according to its own site. It can also be run on a server of your own.
Does Openfire have an API?
Yes. Openfire offers a public API, according to its own site.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.