head to head · open source
Zen Browser vs xmpp.js
Zen Browser has 44,882 GitHub stars, 1,823 forks, 689 open issues and last shipped yesterday. xmpp.js has 2,279 stars, 383 forks, 35 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. Zen Browser leads on adoption by 1,869% (44,882 vs 2,279 stars). Zen Browser is written in C++ under MPL-2.0; xmpp.js is written in JavaScript under ISC. Zen Browser has attracted 4% as many forks as stars, xmpp.js 17%. Zen Browser was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Zen Browser | xmpp.js | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 45K | ★ 2.3K |
| License | MPL-2.0 | ISC |
| Written in | C++ | JavaScript |
| Last push | 2026-10-11 | 2026-09-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 383 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zen Browser if
- You weight community size — 45K stars and counting
- You want the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick xmpp.js if
- You want the xmpp.js feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the ISC license terms
- Your stack matches JavaScript
- You evaluated both and xmpp.js fits your workflow better
About Zen Browser
Zen Browser is a privacy focused, open source web browser built on Firefox’s Gecko engine. It inherits Firefox’s compatibility and extension ecosystem while introducing a streamlined interface and productivity oriented features. The project lives in the desktop browser ecosystem, targeting users who want a Firefox based experience with reduced clutter and enhanced customization.
read the full Zen Browser overview →
About xmpp.js
xmpp.js is a modular JavaScript library that lets developers build XMPP chat, presence, and real time messaging clients or components for browsers, Node.js, React Native, and other JavaScript runtimes.
read the full xmpp.js overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zen Browser or xmpp.js more popular?
Zen Browser has 44,882 GitHub stars and xmpp.js has 2,279. Zen Browser has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zen Browser and xmpp.js free?
Both are open source. Zen Browser is licensed under MPL-2.0 and xmpp.js under ISC. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zen Browser and xmpp.js?
Zen Browser is written in C++ and xmpp.js in JavaScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Zen Browser or xmpp.js?
Choose Zen Browser if you want the larger community (44,882 stars) or its MPL-2.0 licence terms. Choose xmpp.js if its feature set, stack or ISC licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.