Nextcloud Talk vs ngIRCd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Nextcloud Talk
Chat, video calls and webinars integrated into Nextcloud
VS
ngIRCd
Lightweight Unix IRC server that is easy to configure
| Feature | Nextcloud Talk | ngIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 86 · Excellent | 76 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 32 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,201 | ★ 578 |
| First released | 2018 | 2001 |
| Replaces | Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams | Slack |
What are Nextcloud Talk and ngIRCd?
Nextcloud Talk
Nextcloud Talk is the communication app for the Nextcloud platform, providing private chat, audio and video calls, and screen sharing. It runs entirely on your own Nextcloud instance.
- Integrated with Nextcloud files
- WebRTC audio and video calls
- Screen sharing and webinars
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android
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
Nextcloud Talk vs ngIRCd: key differences
Nextcloud Talk is written in JavaScript, while ngIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Nextcloud Talk versus GPL-2.0 for ngIRCd. NgIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Nextcloud Talk. NgIRCd is the more established project (first released 2001), while Nextcloud Talk arrived in 2018. Nextcloud Talk has the considerably larger community, at 2,201 GitHub stars versus 578. Nextcloud Talk lists first-class Docker deployment; ngIRCd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Nextcloud Talk if…
- Tight Nextcloud integration
- End-to-end encrypted calls
Watch out for
- Requires a Nextcloud installation
- High-load calls need a TURN/HPB server
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 Nextcloud Talk or ngIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. Nextcloud Talk 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 Nextcloud Talk and ngIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Nextcloud Talk is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and ngIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nextcloud Talk and ngIRCd with Docker?
Nextcloud Talk: yes. ngIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Nextcloud Talk or ngIRCd?
ngIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Nextcloud Talk. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.