How to run your own IRC server in 2026

Running an IRC server used to mean compiling an ircd, hand-editing a config written in a 1990s dialect, and bolting on separate services for nickname registration. In 2026 it is a one-evening project, mostly thanks to one piece of software.

Why bother? #

A community server gives you what no network can: your rules, your data, no shared fate with anyone else's drama. For a company, a gaming group, a hackerspace or a friend circle, a private IRC server is the cheapest self-hosted chat that exists — it idles in a few megabytes of RAM on the smallest VPS money rents.

The software choice #

Ergo is the modern default and the right answer for most new servers. One Go binary that includes what used to be three systems: the server, services (nickname and channel registration built in — no separate NickServ daemon), and history storage with IRCv3 chathistory, so users get scrollback without bouncers. Config is one YAML file. The trade-off: Ergo prefers to run as a single server rather than a linked network.

InspIRCd and UnrealIRCd are the established, heavily modular C++ daemons — the choice when you want a multi-server linked network or specific modules, paired with external services like Anthe me or anope.

solanum is the lean ircd in the lineage Libera.Chat runs; a fine choice if you want exactly that battle-tested behavior.

What you need #

• The smallest VPS you can rent (or a Raspberry Pi at home).
• A domain name, e.g. irc.example.com.
• A TLS certificate — Let's Encrypt, like everything else. Serve on 6697.

For Ergo specifically, the path is: download the binary, edit the default YAML (server name, network name, enable a registration email if you want verified accounts), point your certificates, start it. The full walkthrough is its own article.

Decisions to make before inviting people #

• Open or registered-only? Requiring registration kills drive-by spam.
• History retention. Ergo can store history; decide how much and tell your users — it is a privacy posture, not just a feature.
• Moderation. Even a friends' server wants two people with oper rights and an agreed mode toolkit.
• Federation ambitions. If you dream of a multi-server network with links, pick InspIRCd/UnrealIRCd territory from the start; converting later is work.

The reality check #

Your server will not replace Libera.Chat — communities live where they live. What it replaces is the Discord server you do not control or the Slack workspace with a history paywall. For that job, a $3 VPS running Ergo is absurdly fit for purpose.