Comm vs ircu2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Comm | ircu2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 74 · Good | 51 · Fair |
| 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 | ★ 64 |
| First released | 2022 | 1996 |
| Replaces | Discord, Slack | Discord, Slack |
What are Comm and ircu2?
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
ircu2
ircu2 (ircd-undernet) is the IRC server daemon developed for and used by the Undernet IRC network. It can be self-hosted to run an IRC network and supports a feature-rich channel and server model.
- IRC server used by Undernet
- Feature-rich channel model
- Lightweight C daemon
Comm vs ircu2: key differences
Comm is written in JavaScript, while ircu2 is built with C. Licensing differs — BSD-3-Clause for Comm versus GPL-2.0 for ircu2. Ircu2 is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Comm. Ircu2 is the more established project (first released 1996), while Comm arrived in 2022. Comm has the considerably larger community, at 331 GitHub stars versus 64. Comm lists first-class Docker deployment; ircu2 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 ircu2 if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Comm or ircu2 better?
Neither is universally better. Comm has the larger community, while ircu2 is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Comm and ircu2 free and open-source?
Yes. Comm is licensed under BSD-3-Clause and ircu2 under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Comm and ircu2 with Docker?
Comm: yes. ircu2: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Comm or ircu2?
ircu2 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.