Dino vs Ergo
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Dino
Modern XMPP chat client for the desktop
VS
Ergo
Modern IRC server with IRCv3 and bouncer features
| Feature | Dino | Ergo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Vala | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,472 | ★ 3,288 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Skype, Slack | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose Dino if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2.5k GitHub stars)
- Written in Vala
Frequently asked questions
Is Dino or Ergo better?
Neither is universally better. Ergo has the larger community, while Dino is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Dino and Ergo free and open-source?
Yes. Dino is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Ergo under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Dino and Ergo with Docker?
Dino: check the project docs for container support. Ergo: yes.