InspIRCd vs Weechat

Two self-hosted Communication - IRC apps, compared on the facts we track: GitHub popularity and activity, license, language, Docker images and a rough hosting estimate.

Side by side

InspIRCdWeechat
DescriptionModular IRC server written in C++ for Linux, BSD, Windows, and macOS.Fast, light and extensible chat client.
GitHub stars1,3603,422
Forks––
Open issues––
Commits (12 months)286877
Last activity2026-10-242026-11-04
Latest releasev4.12.1 (2026-09-26)v4.10.2 (2026-10-31)
Maintenance healthActiveActive
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-3.0
Language / platformC++, DockerC, Docker, deb
Docker Hub image––
Docker pulls––
Est. server size~512 MB, 1 vCPU~512 MB, 1 vCPU
Est. hosting from$3.5/mo$3.5/mo
CategoriesCommunication - IRCCommunication - IRC
LinksWebsite · SourceWebsite · Source

What the numbers say

Summary: Weechat leads on GitHub popularity and commit activity. The right choice depends on the features you need — read both project descriptions and docs.

This summary is generated from GitHub, Docker Hub and awesome-selfhosted data as of 2026-11-05. It does not rate features or quality.

Frequently asked questions

Is InspIRCd or Weechat more popular?

Weechat has more GitHub stars (3,422 vs 1,360 for InspIRCd, as of 2026-11-05). Stars measure interest, not quality.

Which is more actively maintained, InspIRCd or Weechat?

Weechat had more commits over the last 12 months (877 vs 286). The last recorded activity was 2026-10-24 for InspIRCd and 2026-11-04 for Weechat. Our health labels: InspIRCd is “Active”, Weechat is “Active”.

What licenses do InspIRCd and Weechat use?

InspIRCd: GPL-2.0. Weechat: GPL-3.0.

Can I run InspIRCd and Weechat with Docker?

We did not detect a Docker Hub image for either app. The upstream listing mentions Docker as a deployment option for InspIRCd and Weechat. Check each project's documentation for install options.

Read more

InspIRCd

Modular IRC server written in C++ for Linux, BSD, Windows, and macOS.

Active ★ 1.4k GPL-2.0 🐳 Docker~$3.5/mo

Weechat

Fast, light and extensible chat client.

Active ★ 3.4k GPL-3.0 🐳 Docker~$3.5/mo

Browse all self-hosted Communication - IRC apps.

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