KiwiIRC 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 | KiwiIRC | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Vue | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 989 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2011 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are KiwiIRC and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
KiwiIRC vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
KiwiIRC is written in Vue, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for KiwiIRC versus GPL-2.0 for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while KiwiIRC arrived in 2011. KiwiIRC lists first-class Docker deployment; UnrealIRCd 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 UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is KiwiIRC or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. KiwiIRC has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are KiwiIRC and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. KiwiIRC is licensed under Apache-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run KiwiIRC and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
KiwiIRC: yes. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.