Comm vs ircd-hybrid
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Comm | ircd-hybrid |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 69 · Good |
| 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 | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 331 | ★ 200 |
| First released | 2022 | 1997 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Comm and ircd-hybrid?
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
ircd-hybrid
ircd-hybrid is a long-standing IRC server daemon known for stability and a lightweight footprint. It supports modern IRC features and modular extensions, and can be self-hosted to run an IRC network.
- Stable lightweight IRC daemon
- Modular extensions
- Long-standing project
Comm vs ircd-hybrid: key differences
Comm is written in JavaScript, while ircd-hybrid is built with C. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Comm versus GPL-2.0 for ircd-hybrid. Ircd-hybrid is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Comm. Ircd-hybrid is the more established project (first released 1997), while Comm arrived in 2022. Comm lists first-class Docker deployment; ircd-hybrid does not.
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 ircd-hybrid if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Comm or ircd-hybrid better?
Neither is universally better. Comm has the larger community, while ircd-hybrid is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Comm and ircd-hybrid free and open-source?
Yes. Comm is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and ircd-hybrid under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Comm and ircd-hybrid with Docker?
Comm: yes. ircd-hybrid: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Comm or ircd-hybrid?
ircd-hybrid 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.