Charybdis IRCd 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 | Charybdis IRCd | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 7 · At risk | 75 · Good |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| 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 | ★ 230 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2008 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Charybdis IRCd and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
Charybdis IRCd vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Charybdis IRCd's repository is archived and no longer developed, while UnrealIRCd is actively maintained. Both projects are written in C. Charybdis IRCd 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 Charybdis IRCd arrived in 2008. UnrealIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 521 GitHub stars versus 230.
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 UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Charybdis IRCd 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 Charybdis IRCd and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Charybdis IRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Charybdis IRCd and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Charybdis IRCd: check the project docs for container support. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Charybdis IRCd or UnrealIRCd?
Charybdis IRCd 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.