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Comparison · Collab

EGroupware vs Flame

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

Shared themes:self-hosting

EGroupware vs Flame: at a glance

FeatureEGroupwareFlame
SectorCollabCollab
Velocity score5.00.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themessecurity, self-hosting, groupware, end-of-lifeself-hosting, homelab, dashboard, dormant
Last editorial update2h ago23h 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 Flame?

Self-hosted dashboard that finished its feature arc and stopped shipping in 2023.

Flame is a self-hosted startpage for homelab services — app tiles, bookmarks, weather, and a search bar. The feature set it set out to build was finished across 2021 and 2022: custom app descriptions, Docker secrets support, a secondary search provider, and a custom theme editor. The most recent release in this feed is v2.3.1 from July 2023, and it is entirely bug fixes.

Read the full Flame trajectory →

EGroupware vs Flame: 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.

F
Flame
COLLAB
0.0

Self-hosted dashboard that finished its feature arc and stopped shipping in 2023.

◆ Current state

Flame is a self-hosted startpage for homelab services — app tiles, bookmarks, weather, and a search bar. The feature set it set out to build was finished across 2021 and 2022: custom app descriptions, Docker secrets support, a secondary search provider, and a custom theme editor. The most recent release in this feed is v2.3.1 from July 2023, and it is entirely bug fixes.

◆ Where it's heading

The arc reads as a project reaching completion rather than one under active development. Later releases shifted from adding capability to correcting the edges of what already existed — search-provider interactions, iOS input rendering, theme editor field sizes, label wording. There has been nothing since.

◆ Prediction

Nothing in these entries suggests further releases; anyone deploying Flame should treat the current version as the final one unless the project resumes.

Alternatives to EGroupware and Flame

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 Flame.

See all EGroupware alternatives → · See all Flame alternatives →

Recent activity from EGroupware and Flame

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

  1. 22h agoEGroupwareSecurity release fixes passkey regression and OAuth token errors
  2. 7d agoEGroupware23.1 security release; branch support ends August 15
  3. 7d agoEGroupwareWebAuthN two-factor moves into core, plus security fixes
  4. 19d agoEGroupwareSecurity release repairs merge-print and ImportExport regressions
  5. 19d agoEGroupware23.1 security backport with end-of-support warning
  6. 1mo agoEGroupwareTwo more security fixes for the 23.1 branch
  7. 3y agoFlameBug fixes for local search, iOS input styling, and theme editor
  8. 4y agoFlameCustom theme editor and secondary search provider
  9. 4y agoFlameIn-app location detection and tightened file permissions
  10. 4y agoFlameLocal search covers app descriptions; background task tuning
  11. 4y agoFlameCustom app descriptions and a cluster deployment fix
  12. 4y agoFlameDocker secrets support

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between EGroupware and Flame?

Both compete on the same themes — self-hosting — within Collab. EGroupware is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is EGroupware better than Flame?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. EGroupware is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. 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 Flame?

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