Ergo vs Libervia
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
VS
Libervia
Multi-frontend XMPP communication ecosystem
| Feature | Ergo | Libervia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,333 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 2016 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Facebook |
What are Ergo and Libervia?
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
Libervia
Libervia, formerly Salut a Toi, is a communication ecosystem built on XMPP that offers desktop, web, and command-line frontends. It supports chat, blogging, file sharing, and more over a single decentralized network.
- Multiple frontends on XMPP
- Blogging and file sharing
- End-to-end encryption
- Command-line interface
Ergo vs Libervia: key differences
Ergo is written in Go, while Libervia is built with Python. Licensing differs — MIT for Ergo versus AGPL-3.0 for Libervia. Ergo is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Libervia. Libervia is the more established project (first released 2009), while Ergo arrived in 2016. Ergo has the considerably larger community, at 3,333 GitHub stars versus 50. Ergo lists first-class Docker deployment; Libervia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Ergo if…
- No external services needed
- Easy to run
Watch out for
- IRC protocol limitations
- No web UI included
Choose Libervia if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Ergo or Libervia better?
Ergo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Libervia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Ergo and Libervia free and open-source?
Yes. Ergo is licensed under MIT and Libervia under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ergo and Libervia with Docker?
Ergo: yes. Libervia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Ergo or Libervia?
Ergo has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Libervia. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.