Servers

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Basics

What is a server

Server comes from “to serve”, which means to serve/deliver. This means that computers that perform work or services for others serve the computers of users connected to them. Such a server is independent of size and can be either a mainframe computer in a data center or a mini-computer such as the Raspberry Pi. Standard PCs or notebooks are often used as XMPP servers.

Why do you need a chat server?

If you want to send messages from one device to another, both devices must be connected and “online” at the same time. However, if the device is switched off or not connected to the Internet, communication would not be possible without further ado. Servers help here and act as intermediaries. Incoming messages are temporarily stored and then made available to the recipient when they have a connection.

Types of registration

To be able to use XMPP, a chat account must be set up with a server. Some servers only offer registration via the browser, others only offer registration directly in or via the chat program (so-called “in-band” registration) and some offer both.

Selection

If someone is simply looking for a German-language provider without much thought, they can find what they are looking for from the following list with a clear conscience. Simply choose a provider whose name you like best - after all, this name will be part of the chat address (all the following links in the overview go to EXTERNAL pages)

Provider Legal form Contract for „Auftrags- verarbeitung“ possible Registration
www / App		 Web chat
(chat in
browser)		 Offline message storage period File storage period Maximum
file size		 Account deletion if not used Comments / data protection
5222.de private yes <yes> / yes no 30 days
+7 days MAM		 30 days 50 MB 1 year Maximum 100 message history in public rooms
Privacy Policy (external)
anoxinon.de association no <yes> / no <yes> 14 days 14 days 25 MB 1 year Registration with Captcha (number)
IP addresses are only stored for 72 hours in the event of failed login attempts.
Connections from other servers are only permitted if they have a valid certificate (signed public key).
Privacy Policy (external)
conversations.im commercial yes <yes> / yes no 90 days 90 days 100 MB 1 year Privacy Policy (external)
draugr.de private no no / yes
until online
MAM: 21 days
or account
deletion		 30 days 15 MB
max. 50 MB
in total		 2 year Possible server names:
- draugr.de
- deshalbfrei.org
- ubuntu-jabber.net
- verdammung.org
- xabber.de
Privacy Policy (external)
hookipa.net private no <yes> / yes no 365 days or
account
deletion		 30 days 100 MB 1 year Possible server names:
- bangpath.net (Chat & E-Mail)
- hookipa.net (Chat)
- nerdculture.de (Chat & Mastodon)
- nerdica.net (Chat & Friendica)
- nerdwind.de (Chat & E-Mail)
- windfluechter.org (Chat & E-Mail)
- xmpp.social (Chat)
Privacy Policy D/E (external)
hot-chilli.net commercial no <yes> / no <yes> 93 days
+31 days MAM		 31 days 512 MB
max. 1.000 MB
(1GB) in total		 1 year Registration with own captcha
Possible server names:
- jabber.hot-chilli.net
- jabber.hot-chilli.eu
- hot-chilli.net
- hot-chilli.eu
- hot-chilli.im
- im.hot-chilli.net
- im.hot-chilli.eu
- jabb3r.de
- jabb3r.org
- jabber-hosting.de
- openim.de
- openim.eu
- xmpp-hosting.de
Privacy Policy (external)
Server information (external)
MUC-Log (chat rooms): 31 Tage
jabber.at corporation no <yes> / no <yes> 31 days
+21 days MAM		 31 days 30 MB 1 year Registration with own captcha
Registration is disabled from time to time.
Privacy Policy (external)
jabbers.one privat no <yes> / yes <yes> 31 days 10 days 50 MB (in total
max. 200 MB)		 6 months Registration with h-captcha
Privacy Policy (external)
jabjab.de private no <yes> / no no 90 days
+90 days MAM
max. 1.024
messages		 30 days 200 MB
(in total
max 256 MB)		 6 months Max. 100 offline messages
Registration with own captcha
Possible server names:
- planetjabber.de
- jabjab.de
- jabberwiki.de
- jabberforum.de
- ybgood.de
- pad7.de
… and others.
Privacy Policy (external) Source (external)
laberzentrale.de private no <yes> / no no max 100
messages		 30 days 50 MB
(in total
max 500 MB)		 2 years Possible server names:
- laberzentrale.de
- chatpointcharly.de
- schwatzi.de
Max in 50 groups, max 250 participants
Privacy Policy (external)
Source server information (external)
magicbroccoli.de private yes <yes> / yes no 365 days
+90 days MAM		 31 days 50 MB 1 year Registration with own captcha
Privacy Policy (external)
Source server information (external)
mailbox.org commercial yes see
comments		 no until online
+7 days MAM		 7 days 10 MB
max. 1 hour		 none, only
in the event
of contract
termination		 chat address = email address
Annual costs according to price overview
GDPR self-disclosure and regulations for digital inheritance in the
account settings
Privacy Policy (external)
pimux.de private no <yes> / no no until online
+30 days MAM
or account
deletion		 30 days 1.000 MB
(1 GB)		 1 year Registration with math problem
Privacy Policy (external)
Source server information (external)
Server availability (external)
systemausfall.org association no <yes> / no no 365 days 60 days 100 MB 2 years For everybody: jabber.systemausfall.org
Email users: systemausfall.org
Privacy Policy (external, Sense.Lab e.V.)
trashserver.net private no <yes> / yes <yes> 4 weeks 4 weeks 100 MB 2 years Registration currently only available upon request via email (external) – otherwise via self-hosted captcha.
Privacy Policy (external)
Source server information (external)
Provider Legal form Contract for „Auftrags- verarbeitung“ possible Registration
www / App		 Web chat
(chat in
browser)		 Offline message storage period File storage period Maximum
file size		 Account deletion if not used Comments / data protection
Maximum value
Maximum value 2		 - - -
until online /
account deletion		 90 days
60 days		 1.000 MB
512 MB		 none
2 years		 Not necessary for normal chatting ("luxury settings")
Minimum value 2
Minimum vlaue		 - - -
30 days
14 days		 14 days
7 days		 15 MB
10 MB		 6 months
3 months		 Sufficient for normal chatting, depending on personal requirements
WhatsApp commercial - no / yes
30 days 30 days 100 MB /
video 16 MB		 ??? For information and comparison purposes

Table: As of February 2026

The requirements for inclusion in the overview are: A German-language website and various functions (extensions) - see also Compliance list (external).

  • RFC 6121: Roster Versioning
  • XEP-0045: Multi-User Chat
  • XEP-0065: SOCKS5 Bytestreams (Proxy)
  • XEP-0153: vCard-Based Avatar (MUC)
  • XEP-0160: Best Practices for Handling Offline Messages
  • XEP-0163: Personal Eventing Protocol
  • XEP-0191: Blocking Command
  • XEP-0198: Stream Management
  • XEP-0280: Message Carbons
  • XEP-0313: Message Archive Management
  • XEP-0313: Message Archive Management (Multi-User Chat)
  • XEP-0352: Client State Indication
  • XEP-0357: Push Notifications
  • XEP-0363: HTTP File Upload
  • XEP-0368: SRV records for XMPP over TLS
  • XEP-0384: OMEMO Encryption
  • XEP-0398: User Avatar to vCard-Based Avatars Conversion
  • XEP-0411: Bookmarks Conversion
  • Recommended for video telephony: XEP-0215: External Service Discovery (STUN/TURN)

    • The server of the ChaosComputerClub (CCC) is currently not recommended due to poor availability for questions and connection problems.

    Settings / Technical limits

    All listed providers only allow connections with transport encryption (‘TLS’) of the data; unencrypted connections are not possible.
    Nevertheless, the following differences in technical settings should be taken into account when making a selection:

    • Maximum file size when uploading (for cached files)
      With this limit, operators protect themselves against their computer being blocked, e.g. by huge movie or backup files. Some operators have set a very low limit (2 or 4 megabytes) - others a very high limit (up to 100 MB). As a rule 30-50 MB is sufficient for normal instant messages and the exchange of photos and small videos.
      If both sender and recipient are online at the same time, larger files can also be exchanged.

    • Storage duration of the messages
      You must specify how long messages are kept available on the server before they are deleted again. We recommend at least 3-4 weeks so that messages can still be downloaded after a long vacation without an Internet connection.
      The storage for “offline messages” and the storage for “distribution to multiple devices” (“MAM”) are technically 2 separate storage areas. Some server operators first store incoming messages in the “pot” for offline messages and then the message is written to the extended “MAM” memory when it is first retrieved - other server operators write messages immediately to the pot for distribution to multiple devices (“MAM”). This may sound confusing at first - but can be helpful when searching for supposed errors.
      Example: “Storage duration until online +30 days MAM or account deletion”
      Means: Remains in the offline memory until the next login (=online); from then on, the message is also kept in the MAM memory for 30 days for other devices of the same user (or until the account is deleted, if that would be before)

    • Chatting in restricted networks
      Some public networks restrict data traffic to web applications (usually browsers) through certain “ports”. This can be thought of as a door/passageway that a computer can open/close for outsiders and use to offer certain services.
      For the connection to a chat server, it is specified (standardized) that the connections with the numbers 5222 and 5223 are to be used - nevertheless, the chat service (here Jabber/XMPP) can also be made available via other connection numbers. This is important if chatting is to be possible via a firewall or via a public network (WLAN) that only allows browser communication (connection no. 443 or 80), for example.

    Server lists/comparisons

    Not every server supports all common functions and you don’t want to end up with a server that then causes problems. Fortunately, there are various overviews with good and recommendable servers. Here are various pages that list different providers and provide additional information:

    Tip: Multiple servers

    If you want to use several chat accounts, it is a good idea not to create them all on one server - this is good for federalization.

    Pro tip: Your own server

    For those interested in technology, it is relatively easy to operate a server yourself - with Snikket (see below) even a “simple variant”.

    Minimum technical requirements

    The minimum requirements for a server are relatively low. It is possible to use a minicomputer (e.g. Raspberry Pi) for this purpose. Otherwise, a standard computer (desktop/laptop) is perfectly adequate.

    Instructions for setup and operation

    Basic instructions for setting up the Prosody and Ejabberd server: XMPP-Setup (external; PDF file)

    Remote monitoring

    When operating a server, server monitoring is important or can be supplemented by remote monitoring:

    If an XMPP service goes down in a way that the existing monitoring (if any) cannot detect, it is helpful to have a “second pair of eyes” monitoring it. Via https://observe.jabber.network (external) it is possible to monitor self-hosted XMPP services remotely. Operators can thus be notified of any problems in real time by e-mail if a chat service is no longer available.

    Ejabberd-Server

    Prosody-Server

    Snikket

    A very good self-hosting solution for family and friends is Snikket (external; English), which is based on the Prosody server software. Strangers cannot open chat accounts with Snikket - but users can of course communicate across servers (interoperably).

    Differences:

    Snikket Prosody
    Users are created themselves, no external registration External registration possible
    Almost no configuration options Hundreds of setting options
    Provided as a ‘container’ Installation usually as a ‘package’
    • Public Snikket chat room:
      xmpp:general@channel.snikket.org?join

    Quick start: https://snikket.org/service/quickstart (external)
    Instructions: https://notes.nicfab.it/en/posts/snikket (external)

    Further server software

    In addition to Ejabberd and Prosody (and the special version Snikket), there is other server software such as Openfire (external) or Metronome IM (external), which can be operated by yourself:
    https://github.com/awesome-selfhosted/awesome-selfhosted#communication---xmpp (external)

    There is a good overview here: https://xmpp.org/software/servers.html (external)