InspIRCd vs Miaou
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
Miaou
Self-hosted multi-room chat with markdown and code blocks
| Feature | InspIRCd | Miaou |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 65 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 553 |
| First released | 2002 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord, Slack |
What are InspIRCd and Miaou?
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
Miaou
Miaou is a real-time chat server geared toward developer communities, with markdown formatting, syntax-highlighted code blocks, polls, and per-room moderation. It is the software behind the public Miaou chat used by Rust developers.
- Markdown and code-block friendly chat
- Multi-room with moderation
- OAuth login support
- Popular with developer communities
InspIRCd vs Miaou: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while Miaou is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus MIT for Miaou. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Miaou. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Miaou arrived in 2014. InspIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 1,347 GitHub stars versus 553. InspIRCd lists first-class Docker deployment; Miaou does not.
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 Miaou if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Written in JavaScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Miaou 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 Miaou free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Miaou under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Miaou with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Miaou: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or Miaou?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Miaou. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.