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ejabberd vs Synapse: catalog facts
ejabberd	Synapse
Free Free and open source.	Free Free under the AGPL; Element sells commercial licenses, support subscriptions and ESS Pro.
Linux, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
XMPP, MQTT and SIP in one server Over 400 XMPP extensions supported	Reference Matrix homeserver maintained by Element Works with any Matrix client
More complex than servers built for small groups Erlang-based stack can be unfamiliar to admins	Running a homeserver takes server administration work No support from Element without a paid subscription
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: AGPL-3.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.