InspIRCd vs Synapse
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
Synapse
Reference homeserver for the Matrix network
| Feature | InspIRCd | Synapse |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,338 | ★ 4,503 |
| First released | 2002 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Slack, Discord, WhatsApp |
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++
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Synapse better?
Neither is universally better. Synapse 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 Synapse free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Synapse under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Synapse with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Synapse: yes.