Quassel IRC 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 | Quassel IRC | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 57 · Fair | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 794 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2008 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Quassel IRC and UnrealIRCd?
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
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
Quassel IRC vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Quassel IRC is written in C++, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Quassel IRC versus GPL-2.0 for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Quassel IRC arrived in 2008. Quassel IRC lists first-class Docker deployment; UnrealIRCd does not.
Why pick each one
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
Choose UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Quassel IRC or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. Quassel IRC has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Quassel IRC and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Quassel IRC is licensed under GPL-3.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Quassel IRC and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Quassel IRC: yes. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.