InspIRCd vs Syphon
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
Syphon
Privacy-focused Matrix client built with Flutter
| Feature | InspIRCd | Syphon |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Matrix & XMPP |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,338 | ★ 1,061 |
| First released | 2002 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | WhatsApp, Discord |
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 Syphon if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (1.1k GitHub stars)
- Written in Dart
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Syphon better?
Neither is universally better. InspIRCd has the larger community, while Syphon is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are InspIRCd and Syphon free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Syphon under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Syphon with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Syphon: check the project docs for container support.