Best self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers software in 2026

Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol servers.

We track 6 open-source, self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps. 5 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 3 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are GPL-2.0 (2), Apache-2.0 (2), GPL-3.0 (1). The most-used languages are Erlang, Java, Lua. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.

Alternatives to Slack Alternatives to Microsoft Teams Alternatives to WhatsApp Alternatives to Telegram Alternatives to Google Chat Alternatives to Facebook Messenger Alternatives to Mattermost Alternatives to Rocket.Chat

Top 5 by GitHub stars

#	App	Stars	Health	Last activity	License	Language	Docker
1	ejabberd	6.7k	Active	2026-11-04	GPL-2.0	Erlang, Docker	✓
2	Openfire	3.1k	Active	2026-11-06	Apache-2.0	Java	–
3	MongooseIM	1.8k	Active	2026-11-05	GPL-2.0	Erlang, Docker	✓
4	Snikket	476	Active	2026-10-23	Apache-2.0	Docker	✓
5	Tigase	358	Active	2026-10-03	GPL-3.0	Java	–

ejabberd — XMPP instant messaging server.
Openfire — Real time collaboration (RTC) server.
MongooseIM — Mobile messaging platform with a focus on performance and scalability.
Snikket — All-in-one Dockerized easy XMPP solution, including web admin and clients.
Tigase — XMPP server implementation in Java.

Head-to-head comparisons

ejabberd vs Openfire ejabberd vs MongooseIM ejabberd vs Snikket MongooseIM vs Openfire Openfire vs Snikket MongooseIM vs Snikket

All 6 self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps

Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.

ejabberd

XMPP instant messaging server.

Active ★ 6.7k GPL-2.0 🐳 Docker~$5/mo

Openfire

Real time collaboration (RTC) server.

Active ★ 3.1k Apache-2.0 ~$10/mo

MongooseIM

Mobile messaging platform with a focus on performance and scalability.

Active ★ 1.8k GPL-2.0 🐳 Docker~$5/mo

Snikket

All-in-one Dockerized easy XMPP solution, including web admin and clients.

Active ★ 476 Apache-2.0 🐳 Docker~$5/mo

Tigase

XMPP server implementation in Java.

Active ★ 358 GPL-3.0 ~$10/mo

Prosody IM

Feature-rich and easy to configure XMPP server.

Unknown MIT ~$5/mo

Frequently asked questions

What is the best self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers software in 2026?

By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps are ejabberd (6,749 stars), Openfire (3,073 stars), MongooseIM (1,759 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.

How many self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps are actively maintained?

5 of the 6 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days; for 1 we have no repository activity data.

Which self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps can I run with Docker?

3 of the 6 apps can run with Docker.

Which licenses do self-hosted Communication - XMPP - Servers apps use?

The most common licenses in this category are GPL-2.0 (2 apps), Apache-2.0 (2 apps), GPL-3.0 (1 apps).

How much does it cost to self-host Communication - XMPP - Servers software?

The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.

Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.