ircd-hybrid vs Libervia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | ircd-hybrid | Libervia |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 1997 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Facebook |
What are ircd-hybrid and Libervia?
ircd-hybrid
ircd-hybrid is a long-standing IRC server daemon known for stability and a lightweight footprint. It supports modern IRC features and modular extensions, and can be self-hosted to run an IRC network.
- Stable lightweight IRC daemon
- Modular extensions
- Long-standing project
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
ircd-hybrid vs Libervia: key differences
Ircd-hybrid is written in C, while Libervia is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ircd-hybrid versus AGPL-3.0 for Libervia. Ircd-hybrid is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Libervia. Ircd-hybrid is the more established project (first released 1997), while Libervia arrived in 2009. Ircd-hybrid has the considerably larger community, at 200 GitHub stars versus 50.
Why pick each one
Choose ircd-hybrid if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Libervia if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ircd-hybrid or Libervia better?
ircd-hybrid 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 ircd-hybrid and Libervia free and open-source?
Yes. ircd-hybrid is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Libervia under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ircd-hybrid and Libervia with Docker?
ircd-hybrid: check the project docs for container support. Libervia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ircd-hybrid or Libervia?
ircd-hybrid 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.