---
id: slixmpp
version: "1.17.0"
license: MIT
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# slixmpp — Slixmpp is an elegant Python library for XMPP (aka Jabber).

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 223.8K/mo

## What it is and what it does

Slixmpp is a modern async XMPP library for Python 3.11+ that replaces the older SleekXMPP by removing all threading and rewriting the low-level socket handling, timers, and event dispatch to work with asyncio. It lets you build XMPP clients and components that send and receive instant messages, presence updates, and other real-time data over the XMPP protocol.

The library uses Rust-compiled extension modules for performance-critical sections and depends on aiodns, pyasn1, and pyasn1-modules for DNS resolution and cryptographic operations. It ships with prebuilt wheels for Python 3.11–3.14 on Linux platforms, though building from source requires cargo if your platform lacks a wheel. The core pattern is to subclass ClientXMPP, register event handlers, and run the connection loop with asyncio—making it straightforward to integrate XMPP into async Python applications.

Use it for:

- Build a real-time chat bot or client that connects to an XMPP server and responds to incoming messages asynchronously.
- Implement a presence-aware application that tracks user online/offline status and roster changes over XMPP.
- Create an XMPP component or gateway that bridges XMPP with other messaging systems or services.
- Develop multi-user chat (MUC) applications that manage rooms, participants, and group messaging.
- Integrate XMPP-based notifications or alerts into a larger async Python service or microservice.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Slixmpp is an async-first XMPP library for Python that handles real-time messaging and presence over the XMPP protocol, built without threads by rewriting the core socket and event handling layers.

Yes, if you need async XMPP support in Python 3.11+. Slixmpp is actively maintained, MIT-licensed, has no known vulnerabilities, and offers prebuilt wheels for common platforms, reducing install friction. The medium friction is manageable for most deployments. Install it if you're building real-time messaging, presence, or chat features over XMPP and want a modern async-first library.

## Install

pip install slixmpp
uv add slixmpp
poetry add slixmpp

## Installing slixmpp

Before you install: Medium install friction due to Rust-based extension modules; prebuilt wheels are available for Python 3.11–3.14 on common platforms (manylinux, musllinux, aarch64, x86_64), but building from source requires cargo if wheels are unavailable. Three runtime dependencies (aiodns, pyasn1, pyasn1-modules) add modest overhead. Maintenance is active with a recent release.

License in practice: MIT license is permissive and imposes no significant restrictions on use, modification, or redistribution in commercial or proprietary projects.

Quickstart:

import asyncio
from slixmpp import ClientXMPP

class EchoBot(ClientXMPP):
    def __init__(self, jid, password):
        ClientXMPP.__init__(self, jid, password)
        self.add_event_handler("session_start", self.session_start)

    def session_start(self, event):
        self.send_presence()

bot = EchoBot('user@example.com', 'password')
bot.connect()
asyncio.get_event_loop().run_forever()

Requires Python 3.11 or later; building from source requires cargo if prebuilt wheels are unavailable for your platform.

Verify before relying:

- Whether aiodns is a hard requirement or optional for DNS resolution
- Performance characteristics compared to synchronous XMPP libraries
- Extent of XEP (XMPP Extension Protocol) plugin coverage beyond the core library

## Package facts

- License: MIT (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: medium
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 223.8K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

xmpp client library python, jabber protocol async, real-time messaging python, xmpp async library, instant messaging protocol, sleekxmpp alternative, xmpp stanza handling, xmpp, async-messaging, real-time-comms

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