ngIRCd vs The Lounge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
The Lounge
Modern, self-hosted web IRC client
| Feature | ngIRCd | The Lounge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 32 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 578 | ★ 6,336 |
| First released | 2001 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack | IRCCloud, Slack |
What are ngIRCd and The Lounge?
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
The Lounge
The Lounge is a modern web-based IRC client that you host yourself, staying always connected and synchronizing across devices. It offers a responsive interface accessible from any browser.
- Always-on IRC connection
- Synchronized multi-device experience
- Responsive web and mobile UI
- Push notifications
ngIRCd vs The Lounge: key differences
NgIRCd is written in C, while The Lounge is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for ngIRCd versus MIT for The Lounge. NgIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 32 MB of RAM against 256 MB for The Lounge. NgIRCd is the more established project (first released 2001), while The Lounge arrived in 2014. The Lounge has the considerably larger community, at 6,336 GitHub stars versus 578. The Lounge 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 The Lounge if…
- Great IRC experience in the browser
- Multi-user support
Watch out for
- IRC-only
- No built-in voice or video
Frequently asked questions
Is ngIRCd or The Lounge better?
Neither is universally better. The Lounge has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are ngIRCd and The Lounge free and open-source?
Yes. ngIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and The Lounge under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run ngIRCd and The Lounge with Docker?
ngIRCd: check the project docs for container support. The Lounge: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, ngIRCd or The Lounge?
ngIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 32 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for The Lounge. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.