Convos IRC vs Glowing Bear
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?
Convos IRC
Always-online web IRC client you can self-host
VS
Glowing Bear
Web front end for the WeeChat IRC relay
| Feature | Convos IRC | Glowing Bear |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Matrix & XMPP | Chat & Communication |
| License | Artistic-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,188 | ★ 975 |
| First released | 2012 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Slack, IRCCloud | IRCCloud, Slack |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Convos IRC or Glowing Bear better?
Convos IRC is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Glowing Bear if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Convos IRC and Glowing Bear free and open-source?
Yes. Convos IRC is licensed under Artistic-2.0 and Glowing Bear under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Convos IRC and Glowing Bear with Docker?
Convos IRC: yes. Glowing Bear: yes.