# ejabberd vs Element

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

| | ejabberd | Element |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 72/100 | 76/100 ✓ |
| Rank in category | #5 of 110 in Chat | #2 of 13 in Instant Messaging |
| GitHub stars | 6 749 | 13 621 ✓ |
| Stars, last 30 days | +17 | +119 ✓ |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 6 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | 26.09 · 29 Sept 2026 | v1.12.33 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | Other | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Erlang | Typescript |

## Which one should you pick?

Element scores 76/100 against 72/100 for ejabberd, so it is the safer default.

Element ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 6 for ejabberd.

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

Element is growing faster right now (+119 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [ejabberd](https://selfhost.directory/project/ejabberd) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/ejabberd.md)
- [Element](https://selfhost.directory/project/element) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/element.md)

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