ircd-hybrid vs UnrealIRCd
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 | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 200 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 1997 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are ircd-hybrid and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
ircd-hybrid vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Both projects are written in C. Ircd-hybrid is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for UnrealIRCd. Ircd-hybrid is the more established project (first released 1997), while UnrealIRCd arrived in 1999. UnrealIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 521 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 UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is ircd-hybrid or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. UnrealIRCd has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ircd-hybrid and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. ircd-hybrid is licensed under GPL-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ircd-hybrid and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
ircd-hybrid: check the project docs for container support. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ircd-hybrid or UnrealIRCd?
ircd-hybrid 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.