Charybdis IRCd vs Mumble Web
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 | Mumble Web |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 7 · At risk | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | ISC |
| Language | C | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 230 | ★ 738 |
| First released | 2008 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Discord, TeamSpeak |
What are Charybdis IRCd and Mumble Web?
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
Mumble Web
Mumble Web is a browser-based client that connects to Mumble voice servers over WebSocket, removing the need for a native client. It brings Mumble voice chat to any device with a browser.
- Browser access to Mumble
- No native client needed
- Works on mobile browsers
- Lightweight WebSocket bridge
Charybdis IRCd vs Mumble Web: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Charybdis IRCd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Mumble Web is actively maintained. Charybdis IRCd is written in C, while Mumble Web is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Charybdis IRCd versus ISC for Mumble Web. Charybdis IRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Mumble Web. Charybdis IRCd is the more established project (first released 2008), while Mumble Web arrived in 2017. Mumble Web has the considerably larger community, at 738 GitHub stars versus 230. Mumble Web 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 Mumble Web if…
- Released under the ISC license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Requires a Murmur server
- Voice quality depends on browser
Frequently asked questions
Is Charybdis IRCd or Mumble Web better?
Neither is universally better. Mumble Web has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Charybdis IRCd and Mumble Web free and open-source?
Yes. Charybdis IRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Mumble Web under ISC. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Charybdis IRCd and Mumble Web with Docker?
Charybdis IRCd: check the project docs for container support. Mumble Web: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Charybdis IRCd or Mumble Web?
Charybdis IRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Mumble Web. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.