InspIRCd vs Spacebar
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
Spacebar
Self-hostable, open-source Discord-compatible chat backend
| Feature | InspIRCd | Spacebar |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 83 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 2,196 |
| First released | 2002 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord |
What are InspIRCd and Spacebar?
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
Spacebar
Spacebar is a free, open-source, self-hostable chat platform that is compatible with the Discord client and API. It lets communities run their own Discord-like server infrastructure.
- Discord-API compatible
- Works with existing Discord clients
- Self-hosted communities
- Voice and text channels
InspIRCd vs Spacebar: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while Spacebar is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus AGPL-3.0 for Spacebar. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Spacebar. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Spacebar arrived in 2021.
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 Spacebar if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in TypeScript
Watch out for
- Still in heavy development
- Feature gaps versus Discord
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Spacebar better?
Neither is universally better. Spacebar has the larger community, while InspIRCd is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are InspIRCd and Spacebar free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Spacebar under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Spacebar with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Spacebar: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or Spacebar?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Spacebar. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.