ircu2 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 | ircu2 | 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 | ★ 64 | ★ 50 |
| First released | 1996 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Facebook |
What are ircu2 and Libervia?
ircu2
ircu2 (ircd-undernet) is the IRC server daemon developed for and used by the Undernet IRC network. It can be self-hosted to run an IRC network and supports a feature-rich channel and server model.
- IRC server used by Undernet
- Feature-rich channel model
- Lightweight C daemon
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
ircu2 vs Libervia: key differences
Ircu2 is written in C, while Libervia is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ircu2 versus AGPL-3.0 for Libervia. Ircu2 is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Libervia. Ircu2 is the more established project (first released 1996), while Libervia arrived in 2009.
Why pick each one
Choose ircu2 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 ircu2 or Libervia better?
ircu2 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 ircu2 and Libervia free and open-source?
Yes. ircu2 is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Libervia under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ircu2 and Libervia with Docker?
ircu2: check the project docs for container support. Libervia: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, ircu2 or Libervia?
ircu2 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.