Comm vs InspIRCd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Comm | InspIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 84 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | BSD-3-Clause | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 331 | ★ 1,347 |
| First released | 2022 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Comm and InspIRCd?
Comm
Comm is an open-source messaging app focused on a personal server model where users can host their own Comm node. It provides end-to-end encryption and is designed for communities and small groups.
- Personal server model
- End-to-end encryption
- Native mobile apps
- Community-oriented
InspIRCd
InspIRCd is a modular, high-performance IRC server written in C++. Its plugin-based architecture lets administrators enable only the features they need for their network.
- Modular plugin architecture
- Lightweight and fast
- Supports large IRC networks
- Cross-platform
Comm vs InspIRCd: key differences
Comm is written in JavaScript, while InspIRCd is built with C++. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Comm versus GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Comm. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Comm arrived in 2022. InspIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 1,347 GitHub stars versus 331.
Why pick each one
Choose Comm if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in JavaScript
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++
Watch out for
- Configuration is XML-based
- IRC-only
Frequently asked questions
Is Comm or InspIRCd better?
InspIRCd is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Comm if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Comm and InspIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Comm is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and InspIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Comm and InspIRCd with Docker?
Comm: yes. InspIRCd: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Comm or InspIRCd?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Comm. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.