Hookshot vs UnrealIRCd
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted chat & communication options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Hookshot | UnrealIRCd |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 79 · Good | 75 · Good |
| Category | Chat & Communication | Chat & Communication |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 453 | ★ 521 |
| First released | 2021 | 1999 |
| Replaces | Slack | Slack, Discord |
What are Hookshot and UnrealIRCd?
Hookshot
Hookshot is a Matrix integration bridge that connects rooms to GitHub, GitLab, Jira, RSS feeds, and generic webhooks. It lets teams receive and act on notifications inside Matrix.
- GitHub, GitLab and Jira integration
- Generic inbound and outbound webhooks
- RSS and Atom feed support
- Interactive notification actions
UnrealIRCd
UnrealIRCd is a long-established IRC server daemon known for its rich feature set, advanced security controls, and module system. It is one of the most widely deployed IRCd implementations.
- Extensive module system
- Advanced anti-abuse features
- TLS and IRCv3 support
- Highly configurable
Hookshot vs UnrealIRCd: key differences
Hookshot is written in TypeScript, while UnrealIRCd is built with C. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Hookshot versus GPL-2.0 for UnrealIRCd. UnrealIRCd is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Hookshot. UnrealIRCd is the more established project (first released 1999), while Hookshot arrived in 2021. Hookshot lists first-class Docker deployment; UnrealIRCd does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Hookshot if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in TypeScript
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Watch out for
- Requires a Matrix homeserver
- Configuration is YAML-heavy
Choose UnrealIRCd if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 128 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Hookshot or UnrealIRCd better?
Neither is universally better. UnrealIRCd has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Hookshot and UnrealIRCd free and open-source?
Yes. Hookshot is licensed under Apache-2.0 and UnrealIRCd under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hookshot and UnrealIRCd with Docker?
Hookshot: yes. UnrealIRCd: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Hookshot or UnrealIRCd?
UnrealIRCd has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Hookshot. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.