# Answer vs ejabberd

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Answer | ejabberd |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 71/100 | 72/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 69 in Social Networks & Forums | #5 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 15 702 ✓ | 6 749 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +20 ✓ | +17 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 6 |
| Latest release | v2.0.3 · 22 Sept 2026 | 26.09 · 29 Sept 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Easy ✓ | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Other |
| Main language | Go | Erlang |

## Which one should you pick?

ejabberd scores 72/100 against 71/100 for Answer, so it is the safer default.

If you want the quickest setup, Answer is easier to run; ejabberd needs more configuration.

## Details

- [Answer](https://selfhost.directory/project/answer) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/answer.md)
- [ejabberd](https://selfhost.directory/project/ejabberd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ejabberd.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/answer-vs-ejabberd