Ergo

A modern IRC server in Go that builds in accounts, message history and bouncer features, configured through one reloadable YAML file.

3.4k stars, 249 forks Go On GitHub since April 2016

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

Ergo at a glance

Open sourceYes, MITNo paid parts in the repository
Health63 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDocker, Desktop appsCompose file, 1 service
AppsLinux, macOS, Windows, including ARMBuilds in GitHub releases
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~2 hoursMedian first reply; 88% of recent issues answered

What is Ergo?

Ergo combines what usually takes three programs on IRC: the server daemon, a services framework for account registration, and a bouncer that keeps users connected and stores history. It aims to be simple to set up: copy the example config, generate passwords and TLS certificates with built-in commands, and start it. It supports the latest IRCv3 extensions, and the YAML configuration can be reloaded at runtime. The project runs its own network at irc.ergo.chat.

Good fit if

  • You want a private IRC server for a team, community or project with history and accounts built in.
  • You prefer a single binary over assembling ircd, services and bouncer.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want a web client for IRC networks rather than a server: The Lounge.
  • Your team expects modern chat apps with threads and file sharing: Zulip.

Before you adopt it

Ergo is MIT-licensed with no paid parts. Daniel Oaks and Shivaram Lingamneni have led it since 2016 and 2017. Most recent commits come from a single developer. Builds are published for Linux, macOS and Windows, and a Docker image is available.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

How to run Ergo yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
distrib/docker/docker-compose.yml: 1 service
Setup effort
1 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: ergo.chat or the README on GitHub.

Ergo health: is it still maintained?

63 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmEvery ~4 months4 releases in 12 months; latest v2.19.1
Issue repliesWithin ~2 hoursMedian first reply; 88% of recent issues answered
Bus factorHigh riskThe most active of 5 authors wrote 83% of recent commits
  • Activity
    24 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026.
    17 / 30
  • Contributors
    5 people wrote the 24 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 83% of them.
    10 / 20
  • Releases
    4 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v2.19.1, on 5 August 2026.
    12 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 88% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 2 hours.
    19 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 5.3 of 10.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 5 November 2026. How the score works

Ergo security practices

OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

OpenSSF Scorecard5.3 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyYesExplains how to report a vulnerability
Signed releasesPartlyOnly some downloads can be checked against a signature

What each check found

  • Binary files10 / 10No compiled binaries checked into the repository
  • Dangerous workflows10 / 10No risky patterns in GitHub Actions
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Packaging10 / 10Releases are published as packages from CI
  • Security policy10 / 10Explains how to report a vulnerability
  • Signed releases8 / 10Some releases are signed
  • Code review2 / 10Some changes are merged without review
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Branch protection0 / 10The main branch has no protection rules
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found
  • Token permissions0 / 10CI tokens have broad write rights

From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 2 November 2026. Checks that do not apply to Ergo are left out.

Ergo license: is it open source?

Ergo uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. April 2016First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayMIT.

Ergo for developers

Written in

  • Go 97%
  • Python 2%
  • Shell <1%
  • Makefile <1%
  • Dockerfile <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues200On GitHub
Authors, 90 days5Of 24 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to Ergo

  • The Lounge‎ Modern, responsive, cross-platform, self-hosted web IRC client 61 health · MIT · 6.4k stars
  • ejabberdRobust, Ubiquitous and Massively Scalable Messaging Platform (XMPP, MQTT, SIP Server) 80 health · GPL-2.0 · 6.7k stars
  • MumbleMumble is an open-source, low-latency, high quality voice chat software. 82 health · BSD · 8.4k stars
  • ZulipZulip server and web application. Open-source team chat that helps teams stay productive and focused. 93 health · Apache-2.0 · 26.2k stars
  • SynapseSynapse: Matrix homeserver written in Python/Twisted + Rust 88 health · AGPL-3.0 · 4.8k stars

All 16 projects in Team chat

Questions about Ergo

Is Ergo open source?

Yes. Ergo is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Ergo still maintained?

Its health score is 63 of 100 (actively developed). It had 24 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 1 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 5 August 2026.

How do I run Ergo?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, macOS, Windows, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is Ergo written in?

Ergo is written mainly in Go (97% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to Ergo?

Close alternatives in the Team chat category include The Lounge, ejabberd, Mumble.