InspIRCd vs Tox
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
Tox
Peer-to-peer encrypted messaging protocol and core
| Feature | InspIRCd | Tox |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 84 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,347 | ★ 2,685 |
| First released | 2002 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Slack, Discord | Skype, Discord |
What are InspIRCd and Tox?
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
Tox
Tox is a free, peer-to-peer instant messaging protocol with end-to-end encryption and no central servers. The c-toxcore library is the reference implementation that powers a range of Tox clients.
- Fully peer-to-peer
- End-to-end encryption
- No central servers
- Voice and video calls
InspIRCd vs Tox: key differences
InspIRCd is written in C++, while Tox is built with C. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for InspIRCd versus GPL-3.0 for Tox. InspIRCd is the more established project (first released 2002), while Tox arrived in 2013. InspIRCd lists first-class Docker deployment; Tox does not.
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 Tox if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Active community (2.7k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is InspIRCd or Tox better?
Neither is universally better. Tox has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are InspIRCd and Tox free and open-source?
Yes. InspIRCd is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Tox under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run InspIRCd and Tox with Docker?
InspIRCd: yes. Tox: check the project docs for container support.