Centrifugo vs InspIRCd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Centrifugo
Scalable real-time messaging server for apps and websites
VS
InspIRCd
Modular C++ Internet Relay Chat daemon
| Feature | Centrifugo | InspIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Go | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 10,590 | ★ 1,338 |
| First released | 2015 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Pusher, Firebase Realtime Database | Slack, Discord |
Why pick each one
Choose InspIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.3k GitHub stars)
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Centrifugo or InspIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. Centrifugo has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Centrifugo and InspIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Centrifugo is licensed under MIT and InspIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Centrifugo and InspIRCd with Docker?
Centrifugo: yes. InspIRCd: yes.