Run an XMPP Messaging Server on Tor

XMPP has been used by privacy-conscious users for decades, but running a server on the clearnet still exposes metadata. Hosting on Tor solves this:

• Server anonymity — The .onion address hides your XMPP server's location and operator identity
• User anonymity — Members connect through Tor, hiding their IP address from the server and network observers
• Server-to-server privacy — Federate with other Tor-hosted XMPP servers through .onion-to-.onion connections
• OMEMO + Tor — Combine end-to-end encryption (OMEMO/OTR) with transport anonymity (Tor) for maximum privacy
• No centralization — XMPP is federated by design, so no single entity controls the network

XMPP on Tor is the messaging stack of choice for individuals and organizations that refuse to compromise on communication privacy.

AnubizHost supports deployment of mature, well-audited XMPP servers:

• Prosody — A lightweight, modern XMPP server written in Lua. Easy to configure, low resource usage, and excellent module ecosystem. Ideal for small to medium deployments.
• ejabberd — An enterprise-grade XMPP server written in Erlang. Handles massive scale with clustering support. Used by large organizations and public XMPP providers.
• Openfire — A Java-based XMPP server with a web-based admin console. Good for administrators who prefer GUI management.

All deployments include essential XMPP extensions:

• mod_omemo — OMEMO end-to-end encryption support
• mod_http_upload — Encrypted file sharing through the XMPP server
• mod_mam — Message Archive Management for message history (stored encrypted)
• mod_muc — Multi-User Chat (group messaging) support

Configuring XMPP for Tor access requires specific settings that AnubizHost applies during deployment:

• Onion domain binding — Configure Prosody/ejabberd to use the .onion address as the XMPP domain
• S2S over Tor — Server-to-server federation configured to route through Tor SOCKS proxy for .onion-to-.onion communication
• TLS configuration — Self-signed TLS certificates for client connections (Tor provides transport encryption, but TLS adds defense-in-depth)
• DNS SRV records — Not applicable for .onion domains; clients connect directly to the .onion address on standard XMPP ports
• Client configuration — Users configure their XMPP client (Conversations, Gajim, Dino) with the .onion address and SOCKS proxy set to Tor

We provide client setup guides for all major XMPP clients on desktop and mobile platforms.

Launch your private XMPP messaging server on Tor with AnubizHost. Our offshore servers in Iceland, Romania, and Finland ensure your messaging infrastructure is protected by strong privacy legislation.

• No KYC — Set up your XMPP server without identity verification
• Crypto payments — Bitcoin, Monero, Ethereum, and Litecoin accepted
• Low resource requirements — Prosody runs efficiently on our smallest plans
• Pre-configured Tor — .onion address ready for XMPP client connections immediately
• Zero logging — No infrastructure-level records of messaging traffic or user connections

XMPP on Tor is the gold standard for private messaging. Choose a Tor Hosting plan and give your community a truly anonymous chat server.