InspIRCd vs Solanum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | InspIRCd | Solanum |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 71 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 262 |
| First released | 2002 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord |
What are InspIRCd and Solanum?
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
Solanum
Solanum is an IRCv3 server daemon descended from the Charybdis lineage. It is the software that powers the Libera.Chat IRC network and is suitable for running large IRC infrastructures.
- Powers Libera.Chat
- IRCv3 protocol support
- Scales to large networks
- Charybdis-derived codebase
InspIRCd vs Solanum: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while Solanum is built with C. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 128 MB for Solanum. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Solanum arrived in 2020. InspIRCd has the considerably larger community, at 1,347 GitHub stars versus 262. InspIRCd lists first-class Docker deployment; Solanum 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 Solanum if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Solanum better?
InspIRCd is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Solanum if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are InspIRCd and Solanum free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Solanum under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Solanum with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Solanum: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or Solanum?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 128 MB for Solanum. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.