ircd-hybrid vs ngIRCd
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 | ngIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 76 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 578 |
| First released | 1997 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack |
What are ircd-hybrid and ngIRCd?
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
ngIRCd
ngIRCd is a free, portable, and lightweight IRC server for small to mid-sized networks. It focuses on simplicity, low resource use, and a straightforward configuration file.
- Very low resource use
- Simple configuration
- IPv6 and TLS support
- No external dependencies
ircd-hybrid vs ngIRCd: key differences
Both projects are written in C. NgIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 64 MB for ircd-hybrid. Ircd-hybrid is the more established project (first released 1997), while ngIRCd arrived in 2001. NgIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 578 GitHub stars versus 200.
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 ngIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 32 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ircd-hybrid or ngIRCd better?
ngIRCd is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider ircd-hybrid if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are ircd-hybrid and ngIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. ircd-hybrid is licensed under GPL-2.0 and ngIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ircd-hybrid and ngIRCd with Docker?
ircd-hybrid: check the project docs for container support. ngIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ircd-hybrid or ngIRCd?
ngIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 64 MB for ircd-hybrid. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.