InspIRCd vs Hookshot
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
InspIRCd
Modular C++ Internet Relay Chat daemon
VS
Hookshot
Matrix bridge for GitHub, GitLab, Jira and webhooks
| Feature | InspIRCd | Hookshot |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 79 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 453 |
| First released | 2002 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack |
What are InspIRCd and Hookshot?
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
Hookshot
Hookshot is a Matrix integration bridge that connects rooms to GitHub, GitLab, Jira, RSS feeds, and generic webhooks. It lets teams receive and act on notifications inside Matrix.
- GitHub, GitLab and Jira integration
- Generic inbound and outbound webhooks
- RSS and Atom feed support
- Interactive notification actions
InspIRCd vs Hookshot: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while Hookshot is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus Apache-2.0 for Hookshot. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Hookshot. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Hookshot arrived in 2021. InspIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 1,347 GitHub stars versus 453.
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 Hookshot if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Requires a Matrix homeserver
- Configuration is YAML-heavy
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Hookshot 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 Hookshot free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Hookshot under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Hookshot with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Hookshot: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or Hookshot?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Hookshot. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.