headscalevsTigase XMPP Server
Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.
| headscale | Tigase XMPP Server | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 82/100 | 56/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 31 in Networking | #30 of 110 in Chat |
| GitHub stars | 45 162 | 358 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +1 055 | +0 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 7 | 3 |
| Latest release | v0.29.6 · 24 Oct 2026 | tigase-server-dist-8.4.3 · 4 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Advanced |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | Go | Java |
Which one should you pick?
headscale scores 82/100 against 56/100 for Tigase XMPP Server, so it is the safer default.
headscale ships more often: 7 stable releases in the past year, against 3 for Tigase XMPP Server.
If you want the quickest setup, headscale is easier to run; Tigase XMPP Server needs more configuration.
headscale is growing faster right now (+1 055 stars in 30 days).
headscale details →Tigase XMPP Server details →