matterircd vs Spark IM
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted team chat options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
matterircd
Connect to Mattermost or Slack using any IRC client
VS
Spark IM
Cross-platform XMPP instant messaging client
| Feature | matterircd | Spark IM |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Team Chat | Team Chat |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | Java |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | binary, docker, source | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 310 | ★ 601 |
| First released | 2015 | 2004 |
| Replaces | Slack desktop client | Slack, Skype |
Why pick each one
Choose matterircd if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Go
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Choose Spark IM if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Written in Java
- Tiny footprint — runs in 256 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is matterircd or Spark IM better?
Spark IM is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider matterircd if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are matterircd and Spark IM free and open-source?
Yes. matterircd is licensed under MIT and Spark IM under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run matterircd and Spark IM with Docker?
matterircd: yes. Spark IM: check the project docs for container support.