Libervia vs Quassel IRC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Libervia | Quassel IRC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50 | ★ 794 |
| First released | 2009 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Slack, Facebook | Slack |
What are Libervia and Quassel IRC?
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
Quassel IRC
Quassel is a distributed IRC client built around a central core that stays connected and one or more clients that attach to it. The core acts as a permanent bouncer storing backlog for all devices.
- Always-on core bouncer
- Synced backlog across devices
- Qt desktop clients
- PostgreSQL or SQLite storage
Libervia vs Quassel IRC: key differences
Libervia is written in Python, while Quassel IRC is built with C++. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Libervia versus GPL-3.0 for Quassel IRC. Quassel IRC is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Libervia. Quassel IRC has the considerably larger community, at 794 GitHub stars versus 50. Quassel IRC lists first-class Docker deployment; Libervia does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Libervia if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Choose Quassel IRC if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C++
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Libervia or Quassel IRC better?
Quassel IRC 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 Libervia and Quassel IRC free and open-source?
Yes. Libervia is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Quassel IRC under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Libervia and Quassel IRC with Docker?
Libervia: check the project docs for container support. Quassel IRC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Libervia or Quassel IRC?
Quassel IRC has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Libervia. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.