KiwiIRC 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 | KiwiIRC | ngIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 76 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Vue | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 989 | ★ 578 |
| First released | 2011 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack |
What are KiwiIRC and ngIRCd?
KiwiIRC
KiwiIRC is a fully featured IRC client that runs in the browser and can be embedded into any website. It includes a webircgateway component for self-hosting your own embeddable IRC chat.
- Embeddable web IRC widget
- Themeable interface
- Plugin system
- Works without browser plugins
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
KiwiIRC vs ngIRCd: key differences
KiwiIRC is written in Vue, while ngIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for KiwiIRC versus GPL-2.0 for ngIRCd. NgIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for KiwiIRC. NgIRCd is the more established project (first released 2001), while KiwiIRC arrived in 2011. KiwiIRC lists first-class Docker deployment; ngIRCd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose KiwiIRC if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- IRC-only
- Needs gateway for direct connections
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 KiwiIRC or ngIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. KiwiIRC has the larger community, while ngIRCd is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are KiwiIRC and ngIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. KiwiIRC is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ngIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KiwiIRC and ngIRCd with Docker?
KiwiIRC: yes. ngIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, KiwiIRC or ngIRCd?
ngIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for KiwiIRC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.