Charybdis IRCd vs Bonfire
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Charybdis IRCd | Bonfire |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 7 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 230 | ★ 943 |
| First released | 2008 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Facebook Groups, Discord |
What are Charybdis IRCd and Bonfire?
Charybdis IRCd
Charybdis is an IRCv3-capable IRC server daemon descended from ratbox, designed to power large IRC networks. It has been used as the basis for several other IRC server projects and is fully self-hostable.
- IRCv3-capable IRC server
- Designed for large networks
- Basis for other IRC daemons
Bonfire
Bonfire is a flexible, modular framework for building federated social networks and digital communities. It supports ActivityPub federation and is highly customizable through extensions.
- Modular extension architecture
- ActivityPub federation
- Customizable community flavors
- Privacy-focused design
Charybdis IRCd vs Bonfire: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Charybdis IRCd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Bonfire is actively maintained. Charybdis IRCd is written in C, while Bonfire is built with Elixir. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Charybdis IRCd versus AGPL-3.0 for Bonfire. Charybdis IRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Bonfire. Charybdis IRCd is the more established project (first released 2008), while Bonfire arrived in 2020. Bonfire has the considerably larger community, at 943 GitHub stars versus 230. Bonfire lists first-class Docker deployment; Charybdis IRCd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Charybdis IRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Bonfire if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Elixir
Watch out for
- Still maturing
- Complex to configure
Frequently asked questions
Is Charybdis IRCd or Bonfire better?
Neither is universally better. Bonfire has the larger community, while Charybdis IRCd is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Charybdis IRCd and Bonfire free and open-source?
Yes. Charybdis IRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Bonfire under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Charybdis IRCd and Bonfire with Docker?
Charybdis IRCd: check the project docs for container support. Bonfire: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Charybdis IRCd or Bonfire?
Charybdis IRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Bonfire. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.