Anope vs UnrealIRCd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Anope | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 77 · Good | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 365 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2003 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Anope and UnrealIRCd?
Anope
Anope is a set of IRC services that provides NickServ, ChanServ, and related registration features for IRC networks. It works with most major IRCd implementations and supports SQL and LDAP backends.
- NickServ and ChanServ
- Works with many IRCds
- SQL and LDAP integration
- Web panel available
UnrealIRCd
UnrealIRCd is a long-established IRC server daemon known for its rich feature set, advanced security controls, and module system. It is one of the most widely deployed IRCd implementations.
- Extensive module system
- Advanced anti-abuse features
- TLS and IRCv3 support
- Highly configurable
Anope vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Anope is written in C++, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Anope is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Anope arrived in 2003.
Why pick each one
Choose Anope if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Anope or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. UnrealIRCd has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Anope and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Anope is licensed under GPL-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Anope and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Anope: check the project docs for container support. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Anope or UnrealIRCd?
Anope has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for UnrealIRCd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.