ngIRCd 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 | ngIRCd | Quassel IRC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 578 | ★ 794 |
| First released | 2001 | 2008 |
| Replaces | Slack | Slack |
What are ngIRCd and Quassel IRC?
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
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
ngIRCd vs Quassel IRC: key differences
NgIRCd is written in C, while Quassel IRC is built with C++. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ngIRCd versus GPL-3.0 for Quassel IRC. NgIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Quassel IRC. NgIRCd is the more established project (first released 2001), while Quassel IRC arrived in 2008. Quassel IRC lists first-class Docker deployment; ngIRCd does not.
Why pick each one
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
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 ngIRCd or Quassel IRC better?
Neither is universally better. Quassel IRC 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 ngIRCd and Quassel IRC free and open-source?
Yes. ngIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Quassel IRC under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ngIRCd and Quassel IRC with Docker?
ngIRCd: check the project docs for container support. Quassel IRC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ngIRCd or Quassel IRC?
ngIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Quassel IRC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.