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EGroupware vs Elgg

A side-by-side editorial comparison of EGroupware and Elgg — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

EGroupware vs Elgg: at a glance

FeatureEGroupwareElgg
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score5.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themessecurity, self-hosting, groupware, end-of-lifeopen-source, social-networking, maintenance, security-patches
Last editorial update7d ago2h ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is EGroupware?

EGroupware's feed has become a security treadmill, with the 23.1 branch days from end of life.

Almost every release in this window is a security release, and most ship as a pair — one build for 26.x, an identical-scope backport for 23.1. Feature work exists but arrives as single lines inside those security notes: WebAuthN two-factor moving out of the former EPL add-on, OpenID bumped to current upstream libraries, invoice XML gaining reverse-charge exemption codes. The recurring theme in the fixes themselves is authentication — OAuth bearer tokens, OpenID regressions, an inverted email_verified check, passkeys broken by a missing proxy config.

Read the full EGroupware trajectory →

What is Elgg?

A social-networking engine in careful maintenance across two supported branches.

Elgg is running a two-branch release cadence: a 7.0.x line taking bug fixes and a 6.3.x line receiving backports. The recent pairs shipped within two hours of each other — 7.0.5 carrying a single performance fix that stops likes generating ajax response data for unsupported entities, while 6.3.8 carries the longer list: improved sanitization of installer config values, a valid client IP for the core, embedded-image handling in notification emails, mute-option validation, and a permission check before a profile header image can be changed. Contributor counts stay in the low single digits with the same one or two maintainers on nearly every release.

Read the full Elgg trajectory →

EGroupware vs Elgg: editorial side-by-side

E5.0

EGroupware's feed has become a security treadmill, with the 23.1 branch days from end of life.

◆ Current state

Almost every release in this window is a security release, and most ship as a pair — one build for 26.x, an identical-scope backport for 23.1. Feature work exists but arrives as single lines inside those security notes: WebAuthN two-factor moving out of the former EPL add-on, OpenID bumped to current upstream libraries, invoice XML gaining reverse-charge exemption codes. The recurring theme in the fixes themselves is authentication — OAuth bearer tokens, OpenID regressions, an inverted email_verified check, passkeys broken by a missing proxy config.

◆ Where it's heading

The project is consolidating everyone onto 26.x and has put a date on it: security coverage for 23.1 ends August 15, 2026, repeated as a warning in every 23.1 build since July. After that the twin-release pattern should stop and the cadence should halve. The authentication stack is the least settled part of the codebase right now — the July and August releases keep re-fixing OpenID and WebAuthN regressions introduced by their own predecessors.

◆ Prediction

Expect 23.1 builds to cease after August 15 and the feed to become single-track 26.x. On the evidence of the last six releases, expect at least one more OpenID or WebAuthN regression fix to follow the recent upstream library bump.

E
Elgg
COLLAB
5.0

A social-networking engine in careful maintenance across two supported branches.

◆ Current state

Elgg is running a two-branch release cadence: a 7.0.x line taking bug fixes and a 6.3.x line receiving backports. The recent pairs shipped within two hours of each other — 7.0.5 carrying a single performance fix that stops likes generating ajax response data for unsupported entities, while 6.3.8 carries the longer list: improved sanitization of installer config values, a valid client IP for the core, embedded-image handling in notification emails, mute-option validation, and a permission check before a profile header image can be changed. Contributor counts stay in the low single digits with the same one or two maintainers on nearly every release.

◆ Where it's heading

This is a mature project maintaining a stable base rather than pushing new capability, and the balance between the branches is worth noting: the older 6.3 line is receiving more substantive hardening than the current 7.0 line, which has already settled into single-commit patches. That is what a project looks like when most of its deployments have not migrated yet. The 6.3.8 items — input sanitization, permission validation before a mutating action — are the security-shaped fixes that earlier 6.3 releases summarised only as 'small security update'.

◆ Prediction

Expect the alternating pattern to continue: 7.0.x patches as issues surface, with matching 6.3.x backports carrying the hardening work, until a 7.1 cycle opens. The entries give no indication of when that might be.

Alternatives to EGroupware and Elgg

Other Collab products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either EGroupware or Elgg.

See all EGroupware alternatives → · See all Elgg alternatives →

Recent activity from EGroupware and Elgg

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 16h agoElggLikes stop generating ajax data for unsupported entities
  2. 17h agoElgg6.3 branch gets installer sanitization and profile permission validation
  3. 8d agoEGroupwareSecurity release fixes passkey regression and OAuth token errors
  4. 15d agoEGroupware23.1 security release; branch support ends August 15
  5. 15d agoEGroupwareWebAuthN two-factor moves into core, plus security fixes
  6. 20d agoElggGatekeeper fix for inaccessible deleted entities
  7. 20d agoElggSecurity patch on the 6.3 maintenance branch
  8. 26d agoEGroupwareSecurity release repairs merge-print and ImportExport regressions
  9. 26d agoEGroupware23.1 security backport with end-of-support warning
  10. 1mo agoEGroupwareTwo more security fixes for the 23.1 branch
  11. 1mo agoElggCKEditor pinned to the correct GPL-licensed version
  12. 1mo agoElggSmall fixes across the 7.0 line

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between EGroupware and Elgg?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. EGroupware and Elgg are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is EGroupware better than Elgg?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. EGroupware and Elgg are shipping at a similar cadence (velocity 5.0 vs 5.0, both within Sparkpulse's "active" band). For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Collab products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to EGroupware?

Top EGroupware alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "EGroupware alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/egroupware for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to Elgg?

Top Elgg alternatives in Collab are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Elgg alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/elgg for the full list with editorial commentary on each.