Bonfire 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 | Bonfire | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 82 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Elixir | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 943 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2020 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Facebook Groups, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Bonfire and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
Bonfire vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Bonfire is written in Elixir, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Bonfire versus GPL-2.0 for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Bonfire. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Bonfire arrived in 2020. Bonfire lists first-class Docker deployment; UnrealIRCd does not.
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 UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Bonfire or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. Bonfire has the larger community, while UnrealIRCd is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bonfire and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Bonfire is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bonfire and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Bonfire: yes. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Bonfire or UnrealIRCd?
UnrealIRCd 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.