InspIRCd vs Spectrum
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
InspIRCd
Modular C++ Internet Relay Chat daemon
VS
Spectrum
Open-source platform for building online communities
| Feature | InspIRCd | Spectrum |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Forums & Community |
| License | GPL-2.0 | BSD-3-Clause |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,338 | ★ 10,837 |
| First released | 2002 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Discord, Discourse |
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++
Choose Spectrum if…
- Released under the BSD-3-Clause license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 10.8k GitHub stars
- Written in JavaScript
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Spectrum better?
Neither is universally better. Spectrum 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 Spectrum free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Spectrum under BSD-3-Clause. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Spectrum with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Spectrum: yes.