InspIRCd vs KiwiIRC
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | InspIRCd | KiwiIRC |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Vue |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 989 |
| First released | 2002 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are InspIRCd and KiwiIRC?
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
KiwiIRC
KiwiIRC is a fully featured IRC client that runs in the browser and can be embedded into any website. It includes a webircgateway component for self-hosting your own embeddable IRC chat.
- Embeddable web IRC widget
- Themeable interface
- Plugin system
- Works without browser plugins
InspIRCd vs KiwiIRC: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while KiwiIRC is built with Vue. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus Apache-2.0 for KiwiIRC. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for KiwiIRC. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while KiwiIRC arrived in 2011.
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++
Watch out for
- Configuration is XML-based
- IRC-only
Choose KiwiIRC if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Vue
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Watch out for
- IRC-only
- Needs gateway for direct connections
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or KiwiIRC better?
Neither is universally better. InspIRCd has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are InspIRCd and KiwiIRC free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and KiwiIRC under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and KiwiIRC with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. KiwiIRC: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or KiwiIRC?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for KiwiIRC. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.