InspIRCd vs The Lounge
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | InspIRCd | The Lounge |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 6,336 |
| First released | 2002 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | IRCCloud, Slack |
What are InspIRCd and The Lounge?
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
The Lounge
The Lounge is a modern web-based IRC client that you host yourself, staying always connected and synchronizing across devices. It offers a responsive interface accessible from any browser.
- Always-on IRC connection
- Synchronized multi-device experience
- Responsive web and mobile UI
- Push notifications
InspIRCd vs The Lounge: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while The Lounge is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus MIT for The Lounge. InspIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for The Lounge. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while The Lounge arrived in 2014. The Lounge has the considerably larger community, at 6,336 GitHub stars versus 1,347.
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 The Lounge if…
- Great IRC experience in the browser
- Multi-user support
Watch out for
- IRC-only
- No built-in voice or video
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or The Lounge better?
The Lounge is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider InspIRCd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are InspIRCd and The Lounge free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and The Lounge under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and The Lounge with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. The Lounge: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, InspIRCd or The Lounge?
InspIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for The Lounge. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.