matrix-appservice-irc vs Papercups
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
matrix-appservice-irc
Bridge connecting Matrix rooms to IRC channels
VS
Papercups
Open-source live chat and customer messaging
| Feature | matrix-appservice-irc | Papercups |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | Elixir |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker, bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 505 | ★ 6,097 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Slack IRC gateway | Intercom, Drift |
Why pick each one
Choose matrix-appservice-irc if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Choose Papercups if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 6.1k GitHub stars
- Written in Elixir
Frequently asked questions
Is matrix-appservice-irc or Papercups better?
Papercups is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider matrix-appservice-irc if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are matrix-appservice-irc and Papercups free and open-source?
Yes. matrix-appservice-irc is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Papercups under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run matrix-appservice-irc and Papercups with Docker?
matrix-appservice-irc: yes. Papercups: yes.