Bonfire vs KiwiIRC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Bonfire | KiwiIRC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Elixir | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 943 | ★ 989 |
| First released | 2020 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Facebook Groups, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Bonfire and KiwiIRC?
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
KiwiIRC
KiwiIRC is a fully featured IRC client that runs in the browser and can be embedded into any website. It includes a webircgateway component for self-hosting your own embeddable IRC chat.
- Embeddable web IRC widget
- Themeable interface
- Plugin system
- Works without browser plugins
Bonfire vs KiwiIRC: key differences
Bonfire is written in Elixir, while KiwiIRC is built with Vue. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bonfire versus Apache-2.0 for KiwiIRC. KiwiIRC is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Bonfire. KiwiIRC is the more established project (first released 2011), while Bonfire arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
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
Choose KiwiIRC if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- IRC-only
- Needs gateway for direct connections
Frequently asked questions
Is Bonfire or KiwiIRC better?
KiwiIRC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Bonfire if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Bonfire and KiwiIRC free and open-source?
Yes. Bonfire is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and KiwiIRC under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bonfire and KiwiIRC with Docker?
Bonfire: yes. KiwiIRC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Bonfire or KiwiIRC?
KiwiIRC has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Bonfire. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.