Mumble Web vs Ergo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Ergo
Modern IRC server with IRCv3 and bouncer features
| Feature | Mumble Web | Ergo |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 15 · At risk | 88 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | ISC | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 738 | ★ 3,333 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Discord, TeamSpeak | Slack, Discord |
What are Mumble Web and Ergo?
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
Ergo
Ergo, formerly known as Oragono, is a modern IRC server written in Go that combines an IRCd with bouncer-like features. It supports IRCv3, has built-in account management, and stores message history.
- Full IRCv3 support
- Built-in account registration
- Persistent message history
- Single binary deployment
Mumble Web vs Ergo: key differences
Mumble Web is written in JavaScript, while Ergo is built with Go. Licensing differs — ISC for Mumble Web versus MIT for Ergo. Ergo is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Mumble Web. Ergo has the considerably larger community, at 3,333 GitHub stars versus 738.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Ergo if…
- No external services needed
- Easy to run
Watch out for
- IRC protocol limitations
- No web UI included
Frequently asked questions
Is Mumble Web or Ergo better?
Neither is universally better. Ergo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Mumble Web and Ergo free and open-source?
Yes. Mumble Web is licensed under ISC and Ergo under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Mumble Web and Ergo with Docker?
Mumble Web: yes. Ergo: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Mumble Web or Ergo?
Ergo 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.