Ergo
Modern IRCv3 server written in Go, combining the features of an ircd, a services framework, and a bouncer.
Maintained, but at a slower pace than the leaders in its category.
Commit activity more than 39% of tracked projects; popularity more than 59%. How this is calculated.
Commits, last 11 months
| Stars | 3.3k |
|---|---|
| Latest release | v2.19.1 · 5 Aug 2026 |
| Repo updated | 1 Sept 2026 |
| Licence | MIT |
| Built with | Go, Docker |
Is Ergo actively maintained?
Over the last 11 months the project absorbed 160 commits, of which 57 arrived in the most recent quarter — roughly 19 commits a month.
The most recent tagged release, v2.19.1, shipped about two months ago — a current, installable version exists today.
Of the 11 projects we track in Communication - IRC, Ergo ranks #3 by health score — in the top quarter of its category.
What Ergo actually does
Ergo is an IRCv3 server implemented in Go that integrates traditional daemon functions, network services, and bouncer capabilities into a single binary. It manages real-time text communication channels and client connections according to modern Internet Relay Chat specifications. The software is distributed under the MIT licence.
Best fit: Self-hosters who want to run a lightweight, consolidated chat infrastructure without managing separate services and bouncer daemons.
Worth knowing: Adopters may face a smaller community and fewer troubleshooting resources compared to older, more established IRC servers like InspIRCd or UnrealIRCd.
Deployment notes
Since it is packaged for Docker and written in Go, you will typically need to configure persistent storage for state data and place it behind a reverse proxy to handle TLS termination.
Links
Alternatives to Ergo
Projects in the same categories, ordered by health score.
Fast, light and extensible chat client.
Modular IRC server written in C++ for Linux, BSD, Windows, and macOS.
Self-hosted web IRC client.
Advanced IRC bouncer.
Modular, advanced and highly configurable IRC server written in C for Linux, BSD, Windows, and macOS.
Portable and lightweight Internet Relay Chat server for small or private networks.