Ergo vs UnrealIRCd
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
UnrealIRCd
Highly configurable open-source IRC server
| Feature | Ergo | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,333 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2016 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are Ergo and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
Ergo vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Ergo is written in Go, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — MIT for Ergo versus GPL-2.0 for UnrealIRCd. Ergo is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Ergo arrived in 2016. Ergo has the considerably larger community, at 3,333 GitHub stars versus 521. Ergo lists first-class Docker deployment; UnrealIRCd 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 UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Ergo or UnrealIRCd 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 Ergo and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Ergo is licensed under MIT and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Ergo and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Ergo: yes. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Ergo or UnrealIRCd?
Ergo has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for UnrealIRCd. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.